Junior guard Kolby King played 19 minutes in the loss to Houston. Photo by Darcy Leber.
CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The Bulldogs seek to get back in the win column on Tuesday against North Dakota State (NDSU) after suffering a blowout loss to Houston over the weekend. The Cougars ran the Dawgs out of the gym, winning by a margin of 28 points.
Butler returns home with a 7-2 record trying to grab another victory with conference play looming on the horizon.
Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs battle the Bison:
Who: Butler vs. North Dakota State
When: Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: FS1
Getting back on track
Saturday’s loss to Houston was ugly, to say the least. Butler got shut down on the offensive end and was outmatched in almost every phase of the game.
This game against NDSU comes at the perfect time for the Bulldogs. The matchup is an opportunity to get a bounce-back win against an inferior opponent before heading off to face a gauntlet of a schedule. After the Bison, the Dawgs will face No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 6 Marquette and No. 18 UConn in a one-week span.
With those huge matchups coming up, Butler cannot afford to have a poor showing in this game. Coming off the loss down in Houston, the Dawgs need to come out hungry and put North Dakota State away in a convincing fashion.
North Dakota State scouting report
The Bison are 7-4 and currently on a four-game win streak. Last season, NDSU went 15-17 and bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament.
North Dakota is led by the tandem of senior guard Jacari White and senior forward Jacksen Moni. White has played all 11 games this season, averages 17 points per game on 45.2% shooting and has hit the most threes on the team. Moni averages 16 points per game on 50% shooting and is second-highest on the team in assists despite playing only eight games.
The weakness for NDSU is going to be how often they turn the ball over. The Bison have 116 turnovers through 11 games, averaging 10.5 giveaways per matchup. If the Bulldogs want to have a strong showing in this game, they need to limit their own turnover problem and capitalize on the giveaways North Dakota will give them.
It should be a nice bounce-back game for Butler, but the Dawgs need to come out ready to play. Fans saw what happened against Austin Peay earlier in the year, and nobody wants a repeat of that game.
