The Dawgs’ tournament hopes continue to move in the right direction with their third-straight win. Photo by Jada Gangazha.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | MANAGING EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The 8,033 fans that swarmed inside to pack Hinkle Fieldhouse amidst Indianapolis’ cold snap left happy after watching the men’s basketball team come away with an 87-76 win over Marquette.
The Bulldogs embraced the theme of the IMS Checker Out Game, getting off to the races quickly to the tune of an early nine-point lead. Marquette answered back with some hard drives to the basket, trimming the Butler lead to five by halftime.
Early in the second half, a steal by first-year guard Stink Robinson led to a powerful slam by graduate forward Michael Ajayi, igniting the crowd, including the student section, which received 400 $10 concession vouchers courtesy of head coach Thad Matta.
The Dawgs harnessed the crowd’s energy to help them stay in front, spurred on by and-ones by Ajayi and junior center Drayton Jones. Still, the Golden Eagles would not go away, making seven-straight field goals to cut the lead to just two with five minutes to play.
Junior guard Finley Bizjack came up clutch with three minutes to play, finding an open layup, then stealing the inbound, leading to a layup for fellow junior guard Jamie Kaiser Jr. The standout sequence proved to be the last burst of momentum the Bulldogs needed, as they held on for the victory.
“I knew I had to sprint back on defense because they’re such a fast-paced team,” Bizjack said. “Then, I don’t know what inner TJ McConnell came out of me to steal that, but thankfully, I got a tip on it.”
Bizjack finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Ajayi added 17 points, nine boards and five assists.
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart credited the dynamic duo with opening up the offense for their teammates.
“Bizjack and Ajayi deserve a lot of credit,” Smart said. “The attention that they got created opportunities for other guys on their team to make shots.”
Robinson was one of the other standouts, logging eight points and four assists, but making his biggest impact by snatching four steals.
Matta has been impressed, but not surprised, by the elevated play of Robinson and first-year guard Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor as of late.
“[We] expect that out of those guys, because both guys care,” Matta said. “They want to be players. They want to be pleasers.”
With confidence on the rise, and young players hitting their stride, Butler is building momentum and improving its conference record with each passing game. After four much-needed days off, the next test will be a tilt with St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
