Basketball Game Preview: Butler Lynx vs. Chicago Marshall Commandos

Two dominant guards in Xyanna Walton and Janiyah Green are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Butler Lynx will challenge the Chicago Marshall Commandos at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Chicago Marshall will be up against a hot Butler team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. Butler blew past North Lawndale 63-29 on Wednesday. With the Lynx ahead 34-14 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Xyanna Walton

Points

02/12/25 vs North Lawndale	18
02/10/25 vs Perspectives-IIT/Joslin	17
02/06/25 vs Lake View	29
01/30/25 @ Bishop McNamara	24
01/25/25 @ Whitney Young	15
+ 2 more games

Butler's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Walton, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 19 boards. The match was Walton's seventh in a row with at least 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cyra Conwell, who posted 19 points and four steals.

Meanwhile, Chicago Marshall extended their postseason success on Wednesday against Clark. They claimed a resounding 61-34 victory over the Eagles. The win was nothing new for the Commandos as they're now sitting on six straight.

Chicago Marshall's win came from a few key players Butler will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Alysha Murphy, who went 6-for-10 on her way to 20 points in addition to eight rebounds and six steals. That's the most points she has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Charmarre Scott, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards.

Chicago Marshall smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in ten consecutive games.

Butler pushed their record up to 20-10 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.8 points over those games. As for Chicago Marshall, their win bumped their record up to 23-6.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Butler has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Chicago Marshall struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.