Box Score

The Bulldogs knocked off a Top 10 opponent for the third consecutive season, winning the Las Vegas Invitational title with a hard-fought 69-65 win over No. 8 Arizona Friday night. Tournament Most Outstanding Player Andrew Chrabascz was one of four Bulldogs in double figures with five points coming as Butler scored 10 consecutive points over the final 1:38 of the contest.
 
Butler remains perfect on the season at 6-0, while the Wildcats fall to 5-1. The Bulldogs defeated North Carolina in the Atlantis event early in the 2014-15 season and beat Purdue in the 2015 Crossroads Classic to give coach Chris Holtmann a Top 10 non-conference victory in each of his three seasons as head coach at Butler.
 
"We have a lot of new faces, but they're not all young," said Holtmann. "Our guys showed a lot of resolve, a lot of poise. We had a great crowd here tonight, but we heard Arizona's too as they made that run. But our guys just made plays down the stretch. That's what these games come down to."
 
Kamar Baldwin's runner in the lane capped a 9-0 run that put Butler ahead 49-40 with 14:04 to play. That was the first of several huge momentum swings in the second half.
 
Arizona would not go quietly, ultimately putting together a 15-2 run that gave the Wildcats a 61-57 lead with 3:52 to play. Kobi Simmons sparked that rally as all 14 of his points came in the second half. With Arizona leading 63-59 with two minutes remaining, Butler would score the next 10 points to take the win. Chrabascz had five points during the sequence that also featured Kelan Martin finding Tyler Wideman rolling to the basket for an And-1 dunk that gave Butler a three-point lead with 29 seconds to play.
 
Baldwin contested his former AAU teammate Simmons' three-point attempt on the ensuing possession and Butler converted three free throws before a meaningless Arizona basket at the horn determined the four-point final.
 
Chrabascz was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Martin (game-high 16 points) and Baldwin. Chrabascz followed Thursday's double-double in the semifinals with a 14-point, seven-rebound performance.
 
Avery Woodson had 13 points, shooting 4-of-7 from behind the arc. The Bulldogs made 17 of 21 free throw attempts. Tyler Lewis led the team in assists.
 
Arizona used a size advantage to out-rebound Butler, 35-26, and score 36 points in the paint. However, the Wildcats only made 3-of-11 from three-point range and Lauri Markkanen fouled out.
 
The Bulldogs continue their west coast swing, traveling to Utah for a Monday night contest. The 9 p.m. (Eastern, 7 p.m. Mountain) tip will air on the Pac-12 Network.