Fifth-year center Jalen Thomas will be honored for senior night ahead of Butler’s game against Xavier on March 6. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
SARAH HOHMAN | SPORTS EDITOR | shohman@butler.edu
The end of the regular season is here. The Bulldogs will play their last regular season game on Wednesday, March 6 against Xavier.
In their last matchup on Jan. 16, Xavier came out on top 85-71. Butler fought all the way back from a 19-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the second half before a final run by the Musketeers closed the contest.
Here’s what you need to know for Butler’s senior night at Hinkle against the rival Musketeers.
Who: Butler vs. Xavier
When: March 6, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch/listen: FS1, 1430 WXNT
Finishing strong
This is a matchup of the eighth and ninth seeded teams in the Big East. No matter what happens in the game, it is very likely that Butler and Xavier will face each other again in the Big East Tournament next week.
So, if it doesn’t necessarily matter too much, why is it important Butler wins?
Momentum. If this team wants any chance to go far in New York, they need to end the regular season on a strong note. The Bulldog’s dominant win over DePaul was a good answer to their five-game losing streak, but now they need to prove they can beat a team that has a Big East win in their pocket.
Scouting the Musketeers
Xavier is 9-9 in the Big East and 15-14 overall. The Musketeers have had a relatively similar season to the Dawgs with ups and downs. They have gone 2-4 in their last six games, where they took four-straight losses to Creighton, Seton Hall, Providence and Marquette.
In their last game against Georgetown, Desmond Claude had to score a career-high 36 points to help the Musketeers crawl from behind.
Along with Claude, Quincy Olivari is a huge scoring threat for Xavier. Not only is he capturing the hearts of community members, but the guard is also averaging 19.3 points on the court.
Xavier is a team that goes on offensive runs. The Dawgs will need to prevent this early on especially for a team that tends to get in holes early.
