3 reasons Butler lost to No. 23 Xavier: Pup guards lead comeback that falls just short
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No. 23 Xavier, which led by 14 points with less than six minutes left, held off Butler 68-66 in Big East basketball Wednesday night at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
Zach Freemantle scored 23 points for the Musketeers (16-5, 6-4). They are 11-2 at home.
Young guards Chuck Harris and Jayden Taylor scored 18 points each for Butler (11-11, 4-7). The Bulldogs, who were 11-point underdogs, shot 54% in the second half.
In coach LaVall Jordan’s five seasons, the Bulldogs are 0-14 on the road against Top 25 opponents. They are 2-13 in Big East road games over the past two seasons, losing consecutively to four ranked teams: Villanova, Connecticut, Providence, Xavier.
They have trailed by 10 or more points in 32 of 47 games over two seasons.
Butler returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse to play St. John’s at noon Saturday.
Three reasons Butler lost:
Getting technical
Xavier scored four points off technical fouls called against Aaron Thompson and Harris. Thompson barked something that referees heard, and Harris took a swipe at the ball that was in hands of a Xavier player an instant after play stopped.
T’s might not always be assessed in similar cases, but both ended up costly to the Bulldogs. Poise must be preserved.
The second tech was part of a five-point possession that expanded Xavier’s lead to 60-46 with six minutes left.
Inside job
Butler defended admirably against 3-pointers, holding Xavier to 3-of-17 shooting. Over three games, the Bulldogs have allowed 9-of-58 from the arc for 16%.
But Freemantle’s inside presence and Paul Scruggs’ slashes into the paint were too much for Butler’s defense. Freemantle was 7-of-8 on 2-pointers and drifted outside to make two 3s.
Scruggs, the former Southport player, had nine points and five assists.
Xavier outscored Butler 40-32 in points in the paint.
Butler’s three frontcourt starters – Bryce Golden, Bryce Nze, Bo Hodges – combined for just 13 points, including a 3-pointer by Golden.
Breakthrough infection
Turnovers have not often plagued the Bulldogs since a November outbreak. Then they committed eight in the second half and were outscored 10-2 off turnovers.
In a two-point game, the little things add up. It added up to defeat.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoos007.
Xavier 68, Butler 66
BUTLER (11-10) Golden 2-4 2-2 7, Nze 1-5 0-0 2, Harris 7-15 2-2 18, Hodges 1-8 2-2 4, Thompson 5-9 2-2 12, Lukosius 2-6 0-1 5, Taylor 7-10 1-2 18. Totals 25-57 9-11 66.
XAVIER (16-5) Freemantle 9-13 3-5 23, Nunge 2-7 2-2 6, Johnson 0-6 4-4 4, Jones 3-8 1-2 7, Scruggs 4-7 1-4 9, Kunkel 3-6 1-1 7, Hunter 3-5 1-2 8, Odom 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 26-56 13-20 68.
Halftime—Xavier 29-26. 3-Point Goals_Butler 7-22 (Taylor 3-5, Harris 2-7, Golden 1-2, Lukosius 1-4, Hodges 0-2, Nze 0-2), Xavier 3-17 (Freemantle 2-5, Hunter 1-2, Jones 0-1, Nunge 0-1, Kunkel 0-3, Johnson 0-5). Fouled Out_Thompson. Rebounds_Butler 29 (Nze 6), Xavier 30 (Nunge, Kunkel 7). Assists_Butler 10 (Golden 4), Xavier 14 (Scruggs 5). Total Fouls_Butler 18, Xavier 19. A_9,969 (10,250).
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 reasons Butler basketball lost to Xavier, 68-66, in Big East play
