The Butler women’s tennis team finished its regular season by beating Youngstown State 4-3 Sunday.

The Bulldogs (8-14, 5-3) were led by senior Cam Thompson at No. 4 singles.

Thompson defeated sophomore Gimena Puppo 6-1, 6-3 to get Butler rolling against the Penguins (1-17, 1-7).

Bulldogs’ sophomores Angelina Qin and Laura Shull won their No. 5 and No. 6 singles matches by default, because the Penguins played only four players.

Qin and sophomore Caroline Hedrick won their No. 2 doubles match 8-4, while seniors Kahfii King and Kate Panawash won the No. 3 doubles match by default to give Butler the point.

The day before, the Bulldogs lost to Cleveland State. The Vikings (15-8, 7-1) swept the match 7-0.

Butler is the No. 4 seed in the women’s Horizon League Tennis Championship tournament, which will start Friday.

The Bulldogs will face off against No. 5 seed Wright State in their opening-round match.

The men’s team suffered a 5-2 loss to Youngstown State Sunday.

Freshmen Austin Woldmoe and Billy Weldon won at No. 1 doubles to lead the Bulldogs (3-20, 2-5).

Woldmoe and senior Zach Ervin also won their singles matches against the Penguins (9-10, 4-3).

Butler also fell to Cleveland State 5-2 Saturday.

The duo of Woldmoe and Weldon grabbed its first victory of the weekend at No. 1 doubles, topping the team of freshmen Ali Shabib and Nolan Marks 8-6.

Woldmoe and freshman Tommy Marx also won their singles matches against the Vikings (10-11, 4-3).

The No. 6 seed in the upcoming Horizon League Tennis Championship tournament, the Bulldogs will play the No. 3 seeded Penguins again Friday.

The Butler men’s basketball team knows it will be playing Wright State in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs (17-13, 11-7) are likely aware that they will need to get off to a better start against the Raiders (13-18, 7-11) than they did against Valparaiso on Friday.

“I really didn’t mind our energy or effort,” coach Brad Stevens said after Butler’s 71-59 loss to the league-champion Crusaders. “We can’t give away plays if we want to continue playing.

“We know that moving forward, and I don’t think it’s a huge secret.”

The Bulldogs did not record a field goal against the Crusaders until just after the 11-minute mark in the first half.

The result was a 10-point deficit at halftime that Butler was never able to overcome.

Butler needed a victory against Valparaiso to secure the No. 2 seed and a bye through the first two rounds of the upcoming conference tournament.

Now, instead of getting that bye, the Bulldogs will be taking on the Raiders as the No. 5 seed.

“We can’t change the result of what happened in this game,” sophomore forward Khyle Marshall said. “We’re just going to come back and practice as hard as we can, get better and look forward to the tournament.”

While Stevens said he would be scoreboard watching after the loss to Valparaiso, he added that he would specifically be watching the games of Butler’s most likely opponents in the first round of the tournament.

The rest of the Horizon League made sure that Butler paid for its loss, as Cleveland State, Detroit and Wisconsin-Milwaukee all won their weekend contests and surpassed the Bulldogs in the standings.

Wright State, the No. 8 seed, received a date with Butler after all was said and done.

The Bulldogs were victorious in both of the two regular season games between the teams this season.

In the contest at Wright State on Jan. 6, Butler pulled out a 63-62 victory thanks to a late free throw by senior guard Ronald Nored.

Nored, Marshall and junior center Andrew Smith all scored double-digit points, with Smith’s 19 leading the way.

They were all outdone by Wright State junior guard Julius Mays, who posted 24 points.

The second game between the teams took place on Feb. 2 and saw a 64-53 Butler win.

Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the Bulldogs with 13 points, while Wright State junior forward Armond Battle recorded 18.

Mays has provided the Raiders with much of their offensive firepower this season.

For a team that averages the second fewest points in the league, Mays is the only player averaging more than 10 points per game. He also leads the team in free throw shooting and is second in 3-point shooting.

While Butler will have to focus on containing Mays, the Bulldogs will also need to work on their offensive output. The 59 points against Valparaiso was the team’s lowest total in a loss since a 53-42 defeat at Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Jan. 26.

The team is “not dwelling” on its showing at Valparaiso, though, and is “ready for the tournament,” Marshall said.

Butler will not have the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season, meaning the Bulldogs will have to win four games in eight days in order to capture the title.

This is not something Butler is unfamiliar with, though.

“It’s hard to get to the Final Four, too,” Stevens said.

Butler senior forward Garrett Butcher made two free throws with 3:35 remaining in last night’s game against Illinois-Chicago.

On the Bulldogs’ next possession Butcher made a long jump shot.

On the ensuing Flames’ possession, senior guard Ronald Nored stole the ball and went the length of the floor for a score.

Coach Brad Stevens then called a timeout to remove the pair.

That was the way Butler’s two graduating players ended their regular-season home careers.

Tuesday’s game was Senior Night, and the two lone athletic seniors left their mark by helping the Bulldogs (18-12, 11-6) beat the Flames (8-19, 3-13) 69-44.

Butler could return home in the Horizon League tournament in a few different scenarios or through the National Invitational Tournament.

Nored came close to his first-ever double-double, scoring 12 points, dishing out eight assists and capturing seven rebounds.

Butcher recorded four points and two steals in his time on the court.

Though it was a night for  celebrating the seniors, freshman forward Roosevelt Jones led the way for the Bulldogs with his second consecutive double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

“[Jones’] toughness allows you to win at home and on the road,” Stevens said.

Two other Bulldogs also posted double figures in points.

Junior center Andrew Smith and sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins scored 10 apiece.

Sophomore forward Khyle Marshall provided nine of the Bulldogs’ 20 bench points.

The Flames were led by junior guard Gary Talton and senior center Darrin Williams, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.

When Nored and Butcher left the game with 2:39 to go, Hinkle Fieldhouse erupted and an emotional ceremony shortly followed the game.

Photo by Taylor Cox

Stevens thanked the crowd for their support all season and for future support, because “we’re not done yet.”

Each senior also spoke briefly.

“We couldn’t have a better coaching staff,” Butcher said.

“There’s nothing better than Butler,” Nored said in front of his mother, grandmother and high school basketball coach from Alabama.

In a post-game press conference, Butcher described the night as bittersweet.

“It is a special moment I’ll hold in my heart,” Butcher said.

Butler’s victory coupled with Cleveland State’s loss to Green Bay allowed the Bulldogs to gain sole possession of second place in the Horizon League.

In order to secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, the Bulldogs will need to win Friday night against the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Valparaiso and hope for another Cleveland State loss.

On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs won a non-conference game against Indiana State as part of BracketBuster Saturday.

In front of a sellout crowd at Hinkle, Butler routed their in-state foe 75-54, showing a glimpse of their late-season heroics from the past two seasons.

Smith led the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 points while collecting five rebounds.

Jones, Hopkins and sophomore forward Erik Fromm each scored 11 points in the contest. Jones also had 12 rebounds, recording his third career double-double.

The Bulldogs got 25 points off the bench, with Khyle Marshall chipping in 10 as one of five  players in double figures.

Butler shot 8-for-20 from behind the 3-point line. All nine of junior guard Chase Stigall’s points came from beyond the arc.

Sophomore forward R.J. Mahurin led the Sycamores (16-12) with a career-high 22 points, going 4-for-6 from the 3-point line.

The Bulldogs will hit the road to take on Valparaiso in the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Butler men’s basketball team pushed its winning streak to three games last night by defeating Loyola of Chicago 63-57.

The victory moved the Bulldogs (16-12, 10-6) past Detroit and into third place in the Horizon League.

Four Butler players finished in double-digits. Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the way with 13 points and six
rebounds.

Loyola junior forward Ben Averkamp led all scorers with 23 points and six rebounds for the Ramblers (6-19, 1-14).

The Bulldogs started strong, shooting 58 percent from the field on their way to a 13-point lead— the largest of the game— with 2:27 left in the opening half.

Butler went cold from that point on, allowing the Ramblers to come back and tie the game at 44 with 7:52 to play.

“I thought [Loyola’s] 6-0 run at the end of the [first] half really hurt us,” coach Brad Stevens said. “Then I thought we were too passive the first 10 minutes of the second half.

“I think your aggression leads to better offensive play, and I didn’t think we were the more aggressive team at that moment.”

Foul shots made by junior center Andrew Smith and Hopkins gave Butler a 47-44 advantage.

Sophomore forward Khyle Marshall, who scored 12 points, added two key baskets that brought the momentum back to the Bulldogs, who held on to the lead for the remainder of the game.

“[Marshall] makes [passing to him] easy just because he’s ridiculously athletic,” senior guard Ronald Nored said. “So if you just throw it anywhere close to the rim, he’s probably going to dunk it.

“He also does a good job of finding spots where he can be open.”

Nored finished the contest with nine assists—a game-high.

Aside from Averkamp, the Ramblers struggled to score.

Loyola’s other four starters tallied 24 points combined and the team shot 22.2 percent from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs also shot nearly 10 percent better from the field than the Ramblers.

“I told our guys in the locker room that it’s hard to win a basketball game,” Stevens said, “and you always need to remember that, understand that and come into the game thinking that.”

Prior to taking on Loyola, Butler closed its two-game Ohio road trip with a key victory over then-Horizon League leading Cleveland State.

Freshman forward Roosevelt Jones’ career high 17 points led the way in the Bulldogs’ 52-49 victory over the Vikings (20-6, 10-4).

Cleveland State freshman forward Anton Grady led the Vikings with 18 points and 13 rebounds on his way to a double-double, but it was not enough to overcome stifling defense by the Bulldogs (15-12, 9-6).

Butler held a 28-18 lead at halftime, in large part to Cleveland State’s 24.1 percent shooting from the field.

The Vikings’ three-point shooting kept them in it, as the team shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc in the second half after not making a single three-point field goal in the first half.

The Vikings tied the game at 34 with 12:55 remaining. The teams then exchanged the lead six times before the end of the contest.

With the game tied at 49 and with 1:39 remaining in the game, Hopkins hit a jump shot that would give Butler the lead for good.

Marshall returned for the Bulldogs after a two-game absence due to concussion-like symptoms. He scored 12 points and added eight rebounds off the bench.

On Thursday night, Butler defeated Youngstown State 68-59 to start its road trip on the right foot.

Hopkins led the Bulldogs with 19 points, scoring 13 in the second half to help suppress a comeback by the Penguins (14-11, 9-6).

Butler led by as many as 14 points early in the second half, only to have Youngstown State cut the lead to four points with about 12 minutes remaining in the game.

Freshman guard Jackson Aldridge tied his career high of 15 points while going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs will continue their schedule at home on Saturday against Indiana State at 2 p.m.

The Butler men’s basketball team headed into Super Bowl weekend looking to get out of a logjam in the middle of the Horizon League standings.

The Bulldogs (13-12, 7-6) were unable to do so, splitting their two-game homestand this weekend against Wright State and Detroit.

Playing before a sold-out crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon, Butler made a late-game surge but ultimately fell to visiting Detroit 65-61.

The Bulldogs had not lost to the Titans (13-12, 7-6) at home since 1999 and had won 10 straight against Detroit before January’s loss at

Photo by Reid Bruner

Calihan Hall.

Sophomore guard and reigning Horizon League Player of the Week Ray McCallum Jr. led Detroit with 20 points and four rebounds.

“I thought Ray played like the pre-season player of the year today,” coach Brad Stevens said.

Butler freshman forward Roosevelt Jones put up his second career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, tying a career-high in both categories.

“I thought Roosevelt was terrific, and [he] continues to play like one of the better newcomers around,” Stevens said.

The Bulldogs were without sophomore forward Khyle Marshall, who suffered a concussion in practice Friday.

To make matters worse, senior guard Ronald Nored spent most of the first half in the locker room after suffering a broken tooth after diving for a loose ball.

Nored would later return and tie his career-high mark of nine assists.

The Bulldogs trailed 28-27 at the half after the two sides battled back and forth during each possession in the opening 20 minutes.

Ultimately the 18 turnovers forced by the Detroit defense proved too much for Butler to overcome.

“When we’re on our game, we’re able to pressure and force turnovers,” Detroit coach Ray McCallum said. “We want to get out and score in transition.”

Butler junior center Andrew Smith was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points, while sophomore forward Erik Fromm finished with 10 points.

“Overall, I liked our effort,” Stevens said. “But I thought a few guys played timid.

“We stopped some of our drives short when I thought we could have kept going and dished to the other side or finished the play.”

On Thursday, Butler took the lead early against Wright State and never looked back, winning 64-53.

The Bulldogs shot 62 percent from the field in the first half and went to halftime with a 35-26 lead over the Raiders (11-14, 6-7).

Butler sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the way with 13 points while Jones picked up 11 rebounds.

Photo by Reid Bruner

Fromm came off the bench and made four out of his five field goal attempts—including two from 3-point range—to finish with 10 points.

The Bulldogs finished the game with 21 points off the bench.

“Moving forward, I think consistency is the key for us and if we can get more players to be more consistent and comfortable I think that’s really positive,” Fromm said.

Butler will head to Ohio to take on Youngstown State Thursday night before facing off against Horizon League-leading Cleveland State on Saturday.

In a game against the Penguins (13-10, 8-5) at home on Jan. 15, the Bulldogs came away with a 71-55 victory.

At the end of the contest, Butler was 10-9 while Youngstown State was 9-8. Both teams also held 4-3 records in the conference.

Since then, the Bulldogs have played .500 basketball while the Penguins have lost just one league game.

Likewise, the Vikings (20-4, 10-2) of Cleveland State have only gotten better since facing Butler on Jan. 13.

Cleveland State left Hinkle with a 76-69 win that night and has gone on to win five more Horizon League contests, giving them a half-game lead over Valparaiso in the league.

The Butler women’s basketball team got back on track after a six-game losing streak early in the season.

The Bulldogs (10-12, 6-5) came out of an Ohio road trip with two more Horizon League victories after topping Cleveland State and Youngstown State.

Against the Penguins (10-12, 4-7) of Youngstown State on Saturday, a 3-point basket from sophomore guard Mandy McDivitt with 2.3 seconds remaining pushed Butler to a 65-63 win.

Youngstown State was facing a double-digit deficit with 14 minutes to go in the second half.

The Penguins spent nearly all of that 14 minutes battling back, taking a 63-62 lead with 28.7 seconds left in the game.

That set the stage for McDivitt, who came off the bench, to hit her sixth 3-pointer of the contest and seal the win for the Bulldogs.

Butler hit 12 3-point baskets against Youngstown State, besting a previous season-high of eight in one game.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs claimed a 68-62 win over a struggling Cleveland State squad.

Despite receiving double-digit points from three players, the Vikings (8-14, 3-8) could not topple the Bulldogs.

Sophomore guard Jenna Cobb tallied a team-high 21 points for Butler and sophomore center Sarah Hamm posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Leading 30-26 at halftime, the Bulldogs went on a 10-2 run in the first four minutes of the second half.

Cleveland State eventually closed the deficit to single digits, but Butler managed to hold the lead and grab the win.

Butler faces in-state and in-conference rival Valparaiso (6-16, 2-9) at home this Saturday at 2 p.m.