The Butler Bulldogs seek a perfect homestand tonight, as they square off against the Detroit Titans in Horizon League play at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) – Shelvin Mack scored a game-high 32 points as the Butler Bulldogs pulled away for a 66-51 win over the Detroit Titans in Horizon League play at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Mack made good on 6-of-11 shots from three-point range and all eight of his chances at the free-throw line for the Bulldogs (18-9, 10-5 HL) as they won their fourth game in a row. Shawn Vanzant added 12 points in the home win for Butler.
The Titans (14-14, 8-8), losers of back-to-back outings, were paced by Nick Minnerath and Ray McCallum with 11 points apiece.
Both teams had trouble shooting the ball from the floor in the first half and with just 34.5 percent accuracy the Bulldogs found themselves with a 34-29 deficit at the break.
In the second half the defense for the hosts held Detroit to a mere six field goals and 1-of-8 out on the perimeter, allowing the Bulldogs to cruise to the 15-point win.
The Titans were handled on the glass, 38-24, and pulled down a mere four offensive rebounds on the night.
Butler Basketball Preview: Bulldogs Look To Keep Pace In Horizon League, Face Detroit
Sports Network | February 12, 2011
GAME NOTES: The Butler Bulldogs seek a perfect homestand tonight, as they square off against the Detroit Titans in Horizon League play at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs have won the first two games of their homestand, including a 71-63 victory over Wright State on Thursday. It marked the third straight win for Butler, which improved to 17-9 overall and 10-2 at home. The Bulldogs are also now 9-5 in conference play, leaving them in the thick of the HL title race.
As for the Titans, they opened a short two-game road trip with an 82-74 loss to league-leading Valparaiso on Thursday. The defeat ended a three-game winning streak for Detroit, which is still a respectable 8-7 within the conference. The Titans though, have dropped three on the road and they have a tough task ahead of them to snap that streak.
For the all-time series, Butler holds a 44-27 advantage over Detroit and the Bulldogs picked up an 87-64 victory in the first meeting back on January 14th.
The Titans hung tough on Thursday, but a 50.8 percent shooting effort by Valpo was too much to overcome in an 82-74 loss. Detroit was also outscored 24-18 at from long range and outrebounded, 35-32, on the night. Chase Simon paced the team in defeat with 22 points on 8-of-17 field goals, while Ray McCallum turned in an all-around effort of 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Eli Holman got into the mix as well, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds. For the season, McCallum has nearly done it all for the Titans, leading the team with 14.1 ppg, 4.9 apg and 45 steals. Simon follows with 13.3 ppg and 38 swipes, while Holman nearly averages a double-double with 11.8 ppg and a team-best 9.9 rpg. Rounding out the double-figure scorers in Nick Minnerath and Chris Blake, who contribute 10.3 and 10.2 ppg, respectively.
Butler shot a sizzling 56.5 percent from the field, as it scored a 71-63 win over Wright State on Thursday. The Bulldogs added a 12-of-15 effort at the foul line, in addition to scoring 20 points off 13 Wright State turnovers. Shelvin Mack led the charge with 20 points and four rebounds, while Andrew Smith and Shawn Vanzant each scored 15 points. The Bulldogs won despite playing without Matt Howard, who was recovering from a cut above his right eye and a mild concussion suffered last game. Howard, the team's leading scorer (17.1 ppg) and rebounder (7.8 rpg) on the season is listed as questionable for tonight. That leaves Mack as the lone double-digit scorers, as he produces 14.8 ppg to go with 4.6 rpg and 3.6 apg.
The Bulldogs are starting to build up steam at the right time and they should be able to top a Titans team they thrashed earlier in the season.
GAME NOTES: The Butler Bulldogs seek a perfect homestand tonight, as they square off against the Detroit Titans in Horizon League play at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Hinkle Fieldhouse (11,043) -- Indianapolis, Indiana. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: Detroit 9-4, Butler 10-2. Away Record: Detroit 5-9, Butler 4-6. Neutral Record: Detroit 0-0, Butler 3-1. Conference Record: Detroit 8-7, Butler 9-5. Series Record: Butler leads, 44-27.
Saturday, February 12th, 8:00 p.m. (et)
Butler 70, Detroit 60
Feb 13 12:06a by Brad Wells - 0 comments