Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 19 points in the Bulldogs win over SMU last week. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
Butler looks to win its third game in a row on Friday, taking on Merrimack College at home. The Bulldogs come into this game off an 81-70 win over SMU last week to improve to 3-1. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort led the scoring charge for the Bulldogs with 19 points, and the Dawgs had six players finish with double digits in the scoring column. Merrimack is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and is currently 1-3 on the year.
Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs prepare to battle the Warriors.
Who: Butler vs. Merrimack College
When: Nov. 22, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: FS2
Playing consistent basketball
After a rocky start to the season that included a shocking loss at home to Austin Peay, Butler turned it around and put together a complete game against SMU.
The Bulldogs combined offensive efficiency and defensive toughness against the Mustangs which ultimately resulted in the victory. On offense, the Dawgs shot 41% from the field and a blistering 46.2% from beyond the arc. After their early season struggles to be creative on offense, Butler has seemingly figured it out.
On defense, the Bulldogs held SMU to only two players scoring in double digits. The Dawgs’ team defense and ability to get stops would give Butler chances to go on runs. Two of those big runs came in the second half when the Bulldogs built their lead.
After the loss to Austin Peay, the Dawgs know that no game is guaranteed. They will need to keep their foot on the pedal on both ends of the floor to continue to stack victories. The key word for Butler is consistency. The Bulldogs cannot revert back to when they played careless, turnover-prone offense and weak defense.
One of the biggest catalysts for this team’s improvement will be Telfort. The Canada native has been the number-one scoring threat for Butler but also has provided a strong defensive presence. Butler goes as Telfort does, so his play will be key heading into this next stretch of the season.
Merrimack College scouting report
The Warriors currently sit at 1-3 with a win over Vermont and losses to VCU, Princeton and Rutgers. They finished last season with a 21-12 record but fell short of an NCAA Tournament bid in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Final, losing to Wagner College. Merrimack would move from the NEC to the MAAC over the summer.
The Warriors are led by sophomore guard Adam “Budd” Clark. Clark averages 21 points per game on 43.4% shooting and grabs 4.3 rebounds per game as well. Sophomore guard Finley Bizjack will need to be at the top of his defensive game to limit Clark’s scoring ability.
The weakness of this Merrimack team is their inability to hit threes regularly. The team shoots 22% from downtown and only has two players shooting above a 30% clip from beyond the arc. The Dawgs will be content to sit deep and give the Warriors those long-range looks because history says Merrimack will not hit them.
It should be another intriguing matchup for the Bulldogs as Thad Matta’s squad looks to improve to 4-1 on the season.
