First-year guard Azavier Robinson made his first career start against the Raiders. Photo by Drew Kosmak.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team extended its win streak to three with a 94-69 victory over Wright State on Nov. 28.
In their first game back at Hinkle after a successful weekend at The Greenbrier, the Bulldogs opened the game rusty, with turnovers and missed free throws telling the story of the first half. Sophomore guard Solomon Callaghan was lights-out for Wright State in the first half, scoring 14 points going 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
With the Raiders leading by three after the first frame, the Bulldogs had work to do, starting with junior guard Finley Bizjack, who was just 1-of-7 from the field before the break.
Like clockwork, Bizjack bounced back to tie a team-high in scoring with 20 points. Graduate forward Michael Ajayi snapped his streak of double-doubles, but still stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
While other performances may pop more on the stat sheet, Jamie Kaiser Jr continues to be the ultimate glue-guy for Butler. The redshirt sophomore guard brings a versatile repertoire to the court, complete with three-point shooting, stellar rebounding and the ability to defend almost anybody on the floor. Kaiser finished with 11 points and snagged seven boards against the Raiders.
First-year guard Azavier Robinson got his first career start against the Raiders with graduate guard Jalen Jackson sidelined due to an ankle injury. Robinson capitalized on the opportunity, putting up nine points, four assists and three steals. He settled into his role in the second half, piloting the Dawgs to just two turnovers in the last 20 minutes.
A convincing win provides a big lift to the Bulldogs’ metrics, with lopsided victories over mid-major opponents boosting résumés nearly as much as squeaking out victories against power-five teams.Butler has just two buy games remaining this season, starting with a Dec. 2 tussle with Eastern Michigan.
