Junior guard Finley Bizjack logged a team-high 28 points in the first game against Marquette. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
Coming off its second three-game skid of conference play, the men’s basketball team is looking for a season sweep of Marquette on the road, just a few hours up north in Milwaukee.
Here is what you need to know:
Who: Marquette vs. Butler
When: Feb. 7, 2 p.m.
Where: Fiserv Forum
How to watch: FS1
Playing for pride
Sitting at 13-10 on the season after a devastating double-overtime loss to Providence, Butler is now 84-97 in its last six seasons, marking the worst six-year stretch in program history since the 1980s.
Nonetheless, with eight regular-season games left on the docket, there is no other way to play out the season but to approach each game one at a time. With one of the top scorers in the league in junior guard Finley Bizjack and top rebounders in graduate forward Michael Ajayi, the Dawgs have too much talent to be in the position they are currently in.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
In the first bout against Marquette, the Dawgs prevailed 87-76 thanks to a steady three-point presence in the second half and efficiency from the field throughout.
Bizjack led the way with 28 points while Ajayi provided an all-around effort with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
For the Golden Eagles, their top-three scorers stayed true with 15 points apiece from senior guard Chase Ross and first-year guard Nigel James Jr., while sophomore forward Royce Parham contributed 14.
Those big three will be ones to keep an eye on once again, as they will be shooting on their own rims this time as opposed to the Hinkle baskets that saw a dismal 1-of-13 performance from beyond the arc combined.
To seal the season series, the Dawgs will need to be locked in on the defensive side as premier perimeter defender and first-year point guard Stink Robinson’s availability remains uncertain with a wrist injury.
Robinson logged eight points, four assists and four steals in one of his best games in a Butler uniform in the first duel against Marquette.
