INDIANAPOLIS — On senior day at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler’s 21-point lead shrunk to two in the final minutes but the Bulldogs held on to defeat Xavier 80-75.
Grad transfer Michael Ajayi led Butler with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Yohan Traore came off the bench and added 21 points.
Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
What I liked in Butler basketball’s win vs Xavier
- Rivalry games are usually physical and the referees let the two teams bang down low. That physical play allowed Michael Ajayi to muscle through the Musketeers and finish at the rim. Ajayi scored 11 of Butler’s first 15 points, eight of those points came in the paint.
- Yohan Traore also had his way down low against the Xavier defense. Traore made just two field goals, but his physical play earned him multiple trips to the free throw line. Traore went 7 for 7 from the line in the first half. He finished 11 for 13 at the line.
- As a team, Butler dominated Xavier’s bigs in the first half outscoring the Musketeers 26-16 in the paint. For the game, Butler shot 18 for 31 at the rim for 44 points in the paint.
What I disliked in Butler basketball’s win vs Xavier
- The Musketeers struggled shooting the ball, but a lot of their baskets came on communication breakdowns from the Butler defense. Butler allowed baskets because a player failed to rotate over, or the Dawgs allowed him to slip behind them. The baskets didn’t hurt the Dawgs, but when the opposition cannot score against a set defense, defensive breakdowns can keep a game close.
- Drayton Jones continues to struggle on offense. The junior’s defense has always been ahead of his offense, but Jones’ scoring has regressed over the course of the season. Since scoring a season-high 15 points against UConn, Jones has a scored a total of 7 points over the last three games.
- Butler’s inability to maintain leads reappeared against Xavier. Butler led by as many as 21 points in the first half before Xavier cut its deficit to two with 1:55 left in the game. Bizjack and Ajayi helped Butler hold the lead, but the Dawgs have to be better at keeping a team down when they have it on the ropes.
What Butler basketball’s win vs Xavier means
After a six-game losing streak, Saturday’s win is Butler’s second in a row. The Dawgs thrive in offensive-heavy matchup. They haven’t played a complete game during Big East play, but their front-loaded schedule is allowing for a larger margin of error down the stretch of the season.
