3 reasons Butler lost to Michigan State: Poor shooting, Spartans quiet sellout Hinkle crowd
INDIANAPOLIS – Michigan State spurted early and late, delivering Butler a deflating 73-52 defeat before a Hinkle Fieldhouse sellout of 9,100 in college basketball Wednesday night.
It was the Bulldogs’ second nonleague home defeat in 64 games (62-2). In the Gavitt Tipoff Games, it was the first Big Ten win after four Big East wins.
Doyel: This night at Hinkle Fieldhouse was memorable for everything but the basketball
Insider: It's been nearly 30 years since a team has come into Hinkle and beat Butler this badly.
Gabe Brown scored 19 points and freshman Max Christie 18 for Michigan State (2-1). Ty Groce had 15 and Chuck Harris 13 for Butler (3-1).
Three reasons Butler lost:
Spartans’ swift start
Michigan State turned Butler’s early misses and turnovers into baskets, whether in transition or off offensive rebounds. A 9-0 spurt expanded a five-point lead to 22-8, and the Spartans managed to hold a 31-23 halftime edge despite errant shooting.
Butler coach LaVall Jordan slowed the Spartans’ offense by switching to a zone. After starting 8-of-11, the Spartans went 3-of-15 in the first half, going seven minutes without a field goal.
Bulldogs can’t score, either
The Bulldogs might have muddied up Michigan State, but they played as if in quicksand.
They shot 29%, and Harris endured a 4-of-16 night.
During those seven minutes in which the Spartans did not score from the field, they lost only three points from their 14-point lead. Butler could not score, either.
Even fifth-year point guard Aaron Thompson, who was suspended for the first three games, could not get the Bulldogs untracked. They were 3-of-15 on two-point attempts in the half.
Thompson scored nine points but had twice has many turnovers (four) as assists (two), and he was 1-of-6 on free throws.
The Bulldogs closed within 34-28 on Groce’s 3-pointer early in the second half, but a 10-0 run soon expanded Michigan State’s lead to 44-28. That was it.
Injury woes persist
It would not be a Butler game if a key Bulldog did not go down. Last season nine Butler players missed games for non-COVID-related injuries.
Bryce Nze became entangled and went to the bench with 13 minutes left in the first half. Later, he went to the locker room with an apparent arm or shoulder injury and never returned to the game.
Carmel center John-Michael Mulloy came off the bench and played creditably in eight first-half minutes. In fact, he was the only Butler player in the half with a notable plus/minus figure (plus-5).
Mulloy, Groce, Bryce Golden and Myles Wilmoth ended the half with two fouls each. Mulloy fouled out, and Golden finished with four fouls. It was the second straight scoreless game for the 6-9 Golden.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
Michigan St. 73, Butler 52
MICHIGAN ST. (1-1): Bingham 4-4 2-3 10, Brown 6-13 3-3 19, Hauser 0-6 2-3 2, Christie 6-9 4-5 18, Walker 1-3 3-3 5, Hall 3-4 0-0 8, Hoggard 0-3 0-1 0, Akins 0-2 2-2 2, Marble 2-4 2-2 6, Sissoko 1-1 1-2 3, Brooks 0-0 0-0 0, Peterson 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-49 19-24 73.
BUTLER (3-1): Golden 0-2 0-0 0, Nze 0-2 0-0 0, Harris 4-16 2-2 13, Taylor 1-5 2-2 5, Thompson 4-8 1-6 9, Groce 4-13 4-6 15, Mulloy 0-0 0-0 0, Bolden 1-5 2-2 5, Wilmoth 1-4 0-0 3, Lukosius 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 16-56 11-18 52.Halftime—Michigan St. 31-23. 3-Point Goals_Michigan St. 8-24 (Brown 4-10, Hall 2-3, Christie 2-4, Akins 0-1, Hoggard 0-1, Hauser 0-5), Butler 9-31 (Groce 3-8, Harris 3-10, Taylor 1-3, Wilmoth 1-3, Bolden 1-5, Golden 0-1, Nze 0-1). Fouled Out_Brown, Mulloy. Rebounds_Michigan St. 39 (Bingham, Brown, Hauser 6), Butler 22 (Groce 8). Assists_Michigan St. 12 (Walker 5), Butler 8 (Harris 4). Total Fouls_Michigan St. 20, Butler 25.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball: 3 reasons Bulldogs lost to Michigan State Spartans
