3 reasons Butler basketball lost at Providence: Lineup changes help, but Dawgs fall short
Nate Watson scored nine straight Providence points in the closing six minutes, and the No. 21 Friars held off an upset bid by visiting Butler for a 69-62 victory Sunday in Big East basketball.
It was the fourth straight loss, all to Top 25 opponents, for the Bulldogs (9-10, 2-6). They have lost seven of nine, all to the Top 25.
Insider: It's another Butler loss to a Top 25 team, but at least this effort was better
First-place Providence (16-2, 6-1) is 12-0 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and off to its best start in 44 years. Watson scored 18 points.
Chuck Harris scored 21 and Bo Hodges 17 for Butler.
The Bulldogs, who trailed by nine points in the first half, led on several occasions in the second and were within 64-60 with fewer than 70 seconds left.
Three reasons Butler lost:
It’s all on the line
Most statistical categories were even, with one notable exception: free throws.
Providence, which ranks fourth nationally in free throws attempted compared to field goals, outscored Butler 10-1 at the foul line.
Butler coach LaVall Jordan, who rarely argues with officials, did so often on this occasion.
This time, it was defense
Butler was sharper offensively but, correspondingly, more porous on defense – for one half.
The Friars shot 67% in the first half on 16-of-24, building a nine-point lead before settling for a 39-33 halftime margin.
It did not help the Bulldogs that frontcourt stalwarts Bryce Nze and Bryce Golden sat out extended periods of the first half.
The Bulldogs tightened it up in the second half, holding the Friars to 38%.
Bulldogs need everyone
For the first time since Dec. 18, Butler started a new lineup, benching Jayden Taylor and Jair Bolden. Hodges started for the first time since last season and Harris for the first time since Nov. 23.
Hodges and Harris delivered.
Besides his 17 points – Hodges' most as a Butler player – he shot 8-of-12 and had eight rebounds in 34 minutes. Harris' 21 points were his most since scoring 26 in a Dec. 7 road win at Oklahoma.
However, the Bulldogs win as a collective, not with star power. They were outscored 20-2 in bench points.
Two seniors, Ty Groce and Bolden, did not play.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWoods007.
No. 21 Providence 69, Butler 62
BUTLER (9-10): Golden 5-8 1-1 11, Nze 2-6 0-0 5, Harris 9-19 0-0 21, Hodges 8-12 0-0 17, Thompson 3-5 0-3 6, Lukosius 1-7 0-0 2, Taylor 0-3 0-0 0, Hughes 0-0 0-0 0, Mulloy 0-0 0-0 0, Wilmoth 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 1-4 62.
PROVIDENCE (16-2): Horchler 3-5 0-0 8, Minaya 4-7 0-0 9, Watson 7-12 4-4 18, Breed 0-3 2-2 2, Durham 4-11 4-7 12, Bynum 4-10 0-0 10, Croswell 5-5 0-1 10. Totals 27-53 10-14 69.
Halftime—Providence 39-33. 3-Point Goals_Butler 5-20 (Harris 3-9, Hodges 1-2, Nze 1-3, Golden 0-1, Taylor 0-1, Lukosius 0-4), Providence 5-11 (Bynum 2-3, Horchler 2-4, Minaya 1-1, Breed 0-1, Durham 0-2). Rebounds_Butler 24 (Hodges 8), Providence 31 (Horchler, Minaya 8). Assists_Butler 13 (Thompson 6), Providence 12 (Bynum 6). Total Fouls_Butler 18, Providence 13.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Butler Bulldogs basketball lost to No. 21 Providence Friars
