Subbert scored a game-high 29 points against the NCAA Division II Peacocks (0-2), but with the Lady Statesmen trailing by one in the final seconds, Butler put home the game-winning layup to lead the team to its third win in a row.
Subbert was 10-19 from the field (6-9 3PT) and 3-4 at the charity stripe.
Penn (5-2) made seven three-pointers to lead 38-30 at halftime.
The advantage dwindled after the break until the visitors finally trailed 5:05 into the half. The two squads battled for the remainder of the game with neither team holding a lead of more than four points.
The Lady Statesmen were eventually down by three points at 66-63 with 20 seconds left, but then
Nancy Chicas (Sr., San Francisco, Calif., San Mateo CC) made a layup for two of her 14 points.
A defensive stop put the ball back in Penn's hands. Subbert then dribbled to the basket, but her shot was off the mark. Fortunately, Butler was there for the offensive board and the put-back to give the Lady Statesmen the win.
The junior finished with seven points and six rebounds (four offensive), while
Samantha Darley (Jr., Gilbert, Ariz., Mesa CC) added five points.
Janice Adams (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Austin HS) had just four points, but pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. Penn outrebounded the Peacocks 41-30, including a massive 19-4 offensive edge that resulted in a 14-6 edge in second-chance points.
The Lady Statesmen were victorious despite losing the shooting battle 45.8%-36.4%.
Chicas dished out a contest-best eight assists and
April Wilbur (Jr., Rosamond, Calif., Antelope Valley CC) led all players with two blocks.
Chandra Melaragno (Sr., Hartville, Ohio, Marlington HS) recorded a game-high three steals in the win.
"This was a great team win," Lady Statesmen Head Coach
Brian Spielbauer said. "We had a lot of quality minutes from a lot of players."
"Obviously
Christa Subbert had a great night in everything she did and without her we would not have had the chances to win down the stretch," Spielbauer added. "
Nancy Chicas had a monster game at the point as well and put pressure on their defense all night. I am really proud of our players for not quitting. I look forward to what this team can do the rest of the year."
Next: Penn travels to Maryville, Mo. this weekend to compete in the Northwest Missouri State Classic. The Lady Statesmen face William Jewell (Mo.) Friday at 5:30 p.m. before meeting Missouri Valley Saturday at 5:30 p.m.