Butler Breaks Through at Duke

DURHAM, N.C. – Head women's basketball coach Quentin Hillsman had been saying it all year when questioned about junior guard Brianna Butler's early shooting woes, one day she would break through. Against No. 13/12 Duke on Thursday night, Butler did just that.

The junior guard put on a show in Syracuse's first-ever trip to historic Cameron Indoor Stadium. Butler scored a season-best 23 points on seven 3-point field goals. Her seven 3-point field goals matched her career-high.

"Brianna Butler was amazing," commented Hillsman. "She made big shots for us and kept us in that basketball game. That's all I ask my kids is to come out, compete, and give maximum effort."

Not only was she responsible for more than half of Syracuse's total 3-point field goals, she was clutch. The King of Prussia, Pa. native knocked down three 3-point field goals in the final 3:34 of play, including the game-tying 3-point field goal with 52 seconds left to play.

"I just usually try to shoot the ball with confidence, no matter what time I shoot the ball," added Butler. "I think it was my second shot that went in. You definitely feel confident after seeing that ball go in, especially against a great team like Duke."

Heading into Thursday's contest, Butler had made 38 field goals from beyond the 3-point arc, for an average of 2.71 per game. She ranked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 3-point field goals per game and 38th in the nation.

In comparison, Butler knocked down a program-record 100 3-point field goals in 2013-14, which was the third-highest total in ACC history. She made an average of 3.03 per contest and hit at least five in a single game on six different occasions.

Thursday night provided that glimpse into the player she has always been. With seven more 3-point field goals against the Blue Devils, Butler has 198 3-point field goals in her collegiate career. With 32 more, she would be the all-time leader in Syracuse women's basketball history.

"She is going to struggle shooting the ball," stated Hillsman. "She plays for a coach who will not let her not shoot the ball. She has some shots where she is not open and I tell her to double-pump and still shoot it. She is going to take some bad ones and we are going to live with that. She shooting bad, a lot of it is because she knows that I am going to make her shoot the ball. She is a deadly shooter and when she gets going she is really good for us."

With the confidence of her head coach and teammates, opposing defenses should take caution. Butler is locked in and ready to show what she can do during the remainder of the 2014-15 season.

Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Brianna Butler

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