Butler's struggles continue as Seton Hall hands Dawgs fourth-straight loss by at least 20.

Injuries and Manny Bates getting into foul trouble are two things Butler basketball has struggled to overcome all season. Against Seton Hall, Bates picked up two fouls in the first three minutes of the game and go-to scorer Chuck Harris left the game with an injury midway through the first half.

Bates returned late in the first half, but a shot blocker in foul trouble cannot play as aggressively as he needs to. Harris did not return and the Bulldogs' usual problems sank them once again.

Seton Hall led by 20 at halftime and earned a 70-49 win over Butler on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

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The loss is Butler's fourth in a row and fourth in a row by 20-plus points. The Dawgs fall to 11-12 overall and 3-9 in the Big East. Seton Hall improves to 13-9 overall and 6-5 in the Big East.

Here's three reasons Butler lost to Seton Hall:

Offense isn't working

Butler coach Thad Matta said after Wednesday's loss to UConn his players were executing the plays, they just weren't making shots. After another lopsided loss, it's fair to say the offense is what's holding the offense back.

The initial actions are strong, ball screens and players curling off screens. Once the initial action is stopped and the entry pass to the post is denied the offense falls flat. If the offense isn't working, either Matta has to change the offense (a tough ask this late in the season) or someone has to make a play outside the structure of the offense. There's only so many times Butler can force the ball inside to Bates and hope he scores.

Butler's playmakers have to take over when the offense goes dormant. A five-minute scoring drought to end the first half effectively ended the game with the Pirates up 20 at halftime. Harris is one player who can create his own offense. Simas Lukosius and Ali Ali are also effective at hunting their own shots, at times. Jayden Taylor can be instant offense when he's playing within himself.

Four playmakers in the Big East is not enough, especially when the Dawgs don't have a true high-volume, go-to scorer.

"We did some things tonight I hadn't seen us do, in terms of plays that we didn't make," Butler coach Thad Matta said. "Some how, some way we've got to get this thing going in the right direction. ... Competing harder, playing smarter, playing tougher, playing with more energy, playing more connected.

"Obviously our minds weren't where they needed to be to play Seton Hall today, for whatever reason. I thought we had a good practice yesterday coming in and we didn't execute.

Can't protect the paint

If a team can't score, it has to get stops on defense and Butler struggles to do that, too. The Dawgs found some success with a zone defense at times, but Seton Hall continued to drive right into the heart of Butler's interior and score. Seton Hall put four players in double figures. They outscored Butler in the paint 22-8 in the first half and 34-28 overall. Dre Davis did his work from outside, leading Seton Hall with 15 points on 3-of-3 shooting from 3.

Seton Hall's length and athleticism presents a tough matchup for Butler. The visitor's starting lineup has four players 6-6 or taller who can attack the paint. Subs Dre Davis, Tae Davis and Trey Jackson provide another wave of long, versatile players to cause fits for the defense. Tyrese Samuel punished Butler with post ups in the team's first meeting with Butler. Round 2 featured a lot of strong finishes at the basket and putbacks down low.

The Dawgs need another long, athletic, shot blocker, as do most Division I basketball teams. Jalen Thomas and Connor Turnbull are too slight to consistently protect the basket, and Bates can only cover up so much inside. This roster is not equipped to handle Big East offenses and unless one of its guards experiences a growth spurt, the Dawgs will continue to struggle protecting the paint.

Passing up open shots

When a player is having an off night offensively, oftentimes the reaction is to pass the ball and look to get other players involved. When the entire team is struggling, everyone gets too passive and starts to pass up open shots.

Too often a Butler player has an open shot from the perimeter, pump fakes and passes up the shot. Things aren't going well offensively, so let it fly. Someone has to spark the offense and they can't do it by being passive. Eric Hunter Jr. has to take more open shots from deep. Ali Ali has spurts of aggression but fades into the background too often.

Myles Wilmoth got extended playing time for the first time all season and did not hesitate to get shots up. Turnbull has been effective in limited minutes this season. The freshman from Missouri has earned more plays to be called for him. Maybe he can spark the offense, because something has to change for this offense to get going.

Hunter Jr. said they have to stay together offensively to stop runs.

"I think mentally we just kind of leave each other," Hunter Jr. said. "That's kind of where it goes out of the window. When the other side is up 20, you're connected and probably more connected than you were to even started the game. I think that's where we have the first disadvantage, when those type of things happened."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball vs. Seton Hall: It's another lopsided loss for Dawgs