Four reasons Butler basketball beat Yale: Manny Bates, Simas Lukosius lead the way

Butler continues to protect Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Dawgs have won 12 of their past 13 against Ivy League opponents and had never lost to Yale in four game. Butler kept its streak alive, using solid all-around performance to defeat Yale, 71-61, Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (7-3) have now won 70 of their past 72 nonconference home games and moves their current win streak to three. The Dawgs are 6-0 at Hinkle this season.

'I love this team.' Butler's core a testament of toughness as Dawgs remain shorthanded.

Here's three reasons Butler defeated Yale (8-2).

Manny Bates dominants down low

Center Manny Bates had a three-game stretch against Saint Francis, The Citadel and Tennessee where he totaled just 17 points and 18 rebounds. Foul trouble limited his minutes, as the 6-11 shot blocker tried to find the right balance of when and when not to challenge shots at the basket.

Since returning from The Bahamas, Bates has played like the dominant force he showed himself to be early in the season. Against Yale, Bates led Butler with 22 points, seven rebounds and one block.

Yale sent double teams at times, but for a majority of the game Yale played Bates one-on-one. Bates made the Ivy Leaguers pay, showcasing his baby hooks near the basket, a nifty turnaround jumper and a mid-range jumper he sinks with regularity.

In his past three games Bates is averaging 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. He's done it all while playing 39, 40 and 40 minutes, respectively.

Butler's three-guard lineup with four talented ball handlers allows its to push the tempo whenever it needs to. Against a smaller Yale side, the Dawgs started its offense inside to Bates before speeding up the game.

"He's huge. He's bigger than the guys I got," Yale coach James Jones said. "Size matters. Right? They played off him well. He was able to roll to the basket and get a couple of shots that way. He made a couple of jump shots. He made his free throws. So when you're able to score on all those different levels, you're a tough out. It's tough to stop him.

"We tried to double him a little bit, he turned over once or twice which was great for us, but had a couple of assists out of there as well. So you make a gamble when you go in and you try to double a guy like that. ... He's got great size. He's got good hands, good touch. He can score from 15 feet and in, and he makes all his free throws so he's a tough guy to guard."

Defense leads to offense

Butler has been pushing the pace all season in coach Thad Matta's first season back at the helm. Against Yale, steals, loose balls and defensive rebounds often turned into baskets the other way. The Dawgs hounded the passing lanes, getting a hand on what seemed like every Yale pass.

Jayden Taylor poked the ball away from Isaiah Kelly early in the first half and Eric Hunter Jr. saved the ball from going out of bounds with a long pass to a streaking Taylor. Taylor gathered the ball, double clutched and finished through contact for a three-point play.

All 10 of Butler's fast-break points came in the first half.

Hunter Jr. led Butler with four steals. Taylor added three steals.

Simas Lukosius shoots the lights out

What's the best way to end an opponent's run? A 3-pointer. What's an even better way to end an opponent's run? How about two 3-pointers. That's what sophomore guard Simas Lukosius did in each half against Yale.

Yale used a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to eight with 7:39 left in the first half. Lukosius answered with a 3-pointer off a feed from Pierce Thomas. After a Yale missed shot, Thomas grabbed the rebound and passed to Hunter, who found Lukosius in transition and the sophomore let in fly, sinking his second 3 in two possessions.

In the second half, Yale closed its 13-point deficit to eight with 2:38 left. Taylor found Lukosius for a catch-and-shoot 3. Kelly added a jumper, but Lukosius answered with another 3, putting Butler up 12 and icing the game with 2:10 left.

Lukosius finished with 14 points.

"I didn't really think about the timing or what we needed at that situation," Lukosius said. "We ran the play, the shot clock was winding down, I got the ball and I feel comfortable in that situation. I took what the defense gave me.

"All of them were timely," added Matta. "It wasn't by design per se. He made great reads and knocked them down."

Starters continue to carry heavy load

Forwards D.J. Hughes and Myles Wilmoth warmed up before the game and were available to play, but neither entered the game. Butler continues to put heavy minutes on its starters with all five playing 30-plus minutes. Foul trouble limited Hunter to 33 minutes, and Thomas absorbed the majority of Hunter's minutes, playing a season-high 27.

With one nonconference game remaining and a weeklong break in between its Big East opener against UConn, Butler has time for its players to get fully healthy. The Dawgs also have the practice time available to get its players up to speed on its schemes and concepts.

"I've said this all along, I love this team," Matta said. "I think the fact that what these guys are doing right now with the minutes that they're logging and just sort of the stretch we've been on is a testament to them and their toughness.

"We've got to keep going. We've got to get healthy and get more bodies that we can run at it. Saturday completes the first third of our season. Preseason is over at that point. Then we go into the second phase which is conference play and we've got a week to prepare. But we've got to challenge ourselves to be ready to go to California and play our tails off."

Still, it's puzzling why supposedly healthy players are not playing. Games against lesser competition seem like an ideal chance for players like Hughes and Wilmoth to knock the rust off.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Akeem Glaspie on Twitter at @THEAkeemGlaspie.

BUTLER 71, YALE 61

Percentages: FG .417, FT 1.000.

3-Point Goals: 6-20, .300 (Mahoney 3-5, Jarvis 1-2, Molloy 1-3, Poulakidas 1-5, Feinberg 0-1, Knowling 0-1, Mbeng 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 5 (Jarvis 2, Kelly 2, Mbeng).

Turnovers: 14 (Knowling 3, Mahoney 3, Gharram 2, Kelly 2, Mbeng 2, Feinberg, Poulakidas).

Steals: 4 (Mbeng 2, Knowling, Molloy).

Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .500, FT .700.

3-Point Goals: 7-14, .500 (Lukosius 4-5, P.Thomas 1-1, Hunter 1-2, Taylor 1-3, Harris 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 2.

Blocked Shots: 4 (P.Thomas 2, Bates, Taylor).

Turnovers: 8 (Bates 3, Lukosius 2, Harris, Hunter, Taylor).

Steals: 11 (Hunter 4, Taylor 3, Harris 2, Lukosius, P.Thomas).

Technical Fouls: None.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball vs. Yale: Manny Bates, Simas Lukosius key Dawgs' win