Sophomore guard Evan Haywood had 18 points in Butler’s win over Providence. Photo by Drew Kosmak.
CALEB DENORME | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | cdenorme@butler.edu
In a double-overtime affair at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler prevailed 113-110 over the Providence Friars to open Big East play with a bang. It was a back-and-forth contest between the two sides, with each team controlling portions of the game. In the end though, it was the Bulldogs’ late-game heroics that vaulted them into the win column.
Six Dawgs ended up in double-digits, with graduate forward Michael Ajayi leading the way with 28 points, followed closely by junior guard Finley Bizjack’s 26. Junior center Drayton Jones led the creative functions for Butler, notching a game-high eight assists in the victory.
Let’s go beyond the box score, as the Bulldogs escape with a breath-holding win over Providence.
See-sawing
After 30 lead changes and 20 instances where the matchup was tied, late-game heroics from sophomore guard Evan Haywood salvaged a victory for Butler.
In the final moments of the second overtime, Ajayi missed a dunk that was initially rebounded by Providence, but the graduate forward kept at it and came up with the steal. The ball found its way to Haywood, who nailed a triple to put the Bulldogs up by three with 35 seconds to go. After a stop, two missed free throws from redshirt sophomore Jaime Kaiser Jr. and another defensive stand, Butler secured the win.
It was more gritty than pretty though. The Bulldogs were unable to get any real momentum going beyond the arc until the overtime periods, usually a staple of their offensive attack. Bizjack was bottled up from deep during most of the game, pushing the Dawgs to rely on other scoring outlets on offense.
On the other end, Providence’s graduate guard tandem of Jaylin Sellers and Jason Edwards combined for 58 points on 10-19 shooting, outpacing Bizjack and Ajayi who combined for 54. Neither team grabbed a lead bigger than eight, and each squad managed runs of only as large as seven points.
The pace of Big East basketball, 50 minutes of total game time and constant lead changes capped off a thrilling matchup between conference foes. Despite the tired legs, Bizjack emphasized that the Bulldogs were prepared for it.
“It’s exhausting, but it’s not nothing we’re not built for,” Bizjack said. “I feel like our coaches have been really hard on us and bet on us having that kind of toughness. And while it was frustrating at times, it was super exciting.”
The back-and-forth nature of the contest was bound to end in heartbreak for one squad, and unfortunately for the Friar faithful, that team was Providence. Beyond the spectacle of the dramatics, Friars head coach Kim English was not content to have simply played a part in the game without grabbing the victory.
“[It’s] the same old for us,” English said. “Couldn’t secure rebounds [and] couldn’t secure loose balls. When you don’t do that, it’s hard to win.”
Avoiding déjà vu
Due to the volatile nature of the lead changing hands, this game was shaping up to be all-too familiar for the Bulldogs.
Last season, Butler opened up conference play with six straight Big East losses, a part of a larger nine-game losing streak. After an Arizona Tip-Off title, the Dawgs crashed and burned until a mid-January win over Seton Hall.
Avoiding a first conference loss against Providence was a must this time around. Although it was in heart-palpitating fashion, the wins all count the same for head coach Thad Matta and the Bulldogs.
“We did what we wanted to do today and that was to win the basketball game,” Matta said. “It took 50 minutes to do it but… you’ve got to go play and you’ve got to make plays like we did down the stretch today. You’ve got to do it over, and over, and over and over again.”
Butler will get a chance to follow up this win with another victory, hitting the road to take on UConn on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
