BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Mackenzie Holmes scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half, and No. 4 Indiana completed an unbeaten nonconference schedule with a 67-50 win over Butler on Wednesday.
Yarden Garzon added 13 points and Sydney Parrish 10 for the Hoosiers (12-0).
Rachel McLimore scored 13 and Sydney Jaynes 11 for Butler (5-7).
The Bulldogs stayed close early, trailing 12-11 with two minutes left in the first quarter.
Indiana outscored Butler 9-0 in the opening 87 seconds of the second quarter, featuring Holmes’ three-point play and successive 3-pointers by Parrish and Garzon. The run eventually became 18-3, expanding the Hoosiers’ lead to 35-16.
Butler cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 41-31 midway through the third quarter, thanks to three inside baskets by James. That was as close as the Bulldogs would come.
Indiana is 8-0 at home, featuring wins by 37, 56, 35, 37, 24, 63 and 17 points. The Hoosiers’ one close victory was 65-61 over Illinois in a Big Ten opener on Dec. 4.
Indiana is nearing the program record for most successive wins to open a season: 15-0 in 1972, the first year for women’s basketball at the school. The Hoosiers were 14-0 in 2013-14.
BIG PICTURE
Butler: Under first-year coach Austin Parkinson, the Bulldogs have already won more games than in the previous two seasons combined (4-44). They have lost 23 in a row against Big East opponents.
Indiana: The Hoosiers went into the game ranked fourth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.515) and third in assist/turnover ratio (1.69). They shot .444 against Butler on 24-of-54. They are awaiting the return of All-America candidate Grace Berger, who missed her sixth game because of a knee injury.
UP NEXT
Butler: At Xavier on Dec. 28.
Indiana: At Michigan State on Dec. 29.
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