By Noah Poser

Photos by Jim Vincent

From the opening tip-off, the Butler Lynx appeared in total control of their matchup against Marshall, not willing to let the Commandos (or an early Saturday morning start at UIC’s Credit Union1 Arena) get the better of them.

It wasn’t for a lack of effort on the Commandos’ part, but ultimately they had no answer for Butler and its trio of Cyra Conwell, Xyanna Walton and Samaiyya Williams, and the result was a commanding 24-9 lead for the Lynx at the end of the first quarter.

“I feel like the three of us can all score from all the different spots on the floor,” Walton said. “That’s what ultimately helps us the most. Cyra is our primary ball handler, so she gets me and Samaiyya the ball when we need it in the right spot, and that makes us hard to stop.”

After a dominant first quarter, Butler (21-10) operated almost exclusively on autopilot from that point forward, taking a 30-point lead into halftime before running away with a 73-45 win over Marshall (24-7) to claim the White Conference CPS Girls Basketball Championship in their first year in the league.

“I’ve been the coach of the Lady Lynx since 2016,” Butler coach Xaver Walton said. “I believe all our games have led to this moment. Joining CPS for the first year, our whole focus was to do everything we can to prove we’ll be ready to join the red conference next year.”

Walton also gave credit to his school’s talented sophomore squad who also took home a coveted CPS title this year.

“Our sophomore (girls) team did their part last night and our varsity team did their part today to give Butler, in our first year in CPS, two championships to go back to our school. So I just hope these young ladies can enjoy this moment before we get back to practice tomorrow.”

And as their coach had hoped for, celebrating was just the thing on (some of) the players’ minds.

“Well you know, in the locker room, we’re turning it up,” Conwell said. “Silly string, music, we’re gonna have everything.”

Meanwhile, one of Conwell’s teammates had other post-game plans.

“I’m gonna rest for the state playoffs,” Walton said. 

In Walton’s case, the rest may certainly be well-deserved after she led the way for Butler with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. 

Other notable performances for Butler included Conwell, who finished with 20 points and six steals, and Williams, who had 18 points and four steals of her own. Tiona Harding also provided steady contributions for the Lynx, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds.

On the opposing side, Chamarre Scott chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Commandos.

“Oh my goodness,” Marshall coach Fred Eaton said. “We gave it away a little bit more than too many times. We really had to cut down on turnovers. Like I told my team earlier, we give the opponent countless chances at an open basket to attack us and we can’t allow that. I realize we have a young core, but we have to understand that we need to take care of that basketball.”

Eaton continued on to say his team can take the time to “understand their mistakes” but more than anything, they need to just “wash everything away” from this game as they prepare for the state playoffs.

It’s a short turnaround for both these teams as they look ahead to the state playoffs in the upcoming week, in which Butler will enter the tournament looking to continue to play as they did against Marshall, while the Commandos will be looking to play in a much tidier fashion.

But for the players and coaches of both teams, the message is clear. 

The job’s not finished.