INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Junior Kellen Dunham tallied a game-high 18 points and four teammates scored in double-figures to lead Butler to an 88-45 victory over Chicago on Saturday (Nov. 1).  The game at Hinkle Fieldhouse was the first of two exhibition contests for the Bulldogs.

Dunham scored 12 of his points in the second half to help the Bulldogs pull away from the visiting Maroons.  Butler built a 12-point lead at halftime, 35-23, and then stretched the margin with a 53-point second half.  The Bulldogs shot a sizzling 66.7% (23-33) from the field over the final 20 minutes.

"We're sharing the ball right now.  We're passing to the open man and doing a really good job of it," said Butler interim head coach Chris Holtmann after the game.  "The ball doesn't stick too much; the ball moves and that's a real credit the unselfishness our guys have right now."

Eight different Bulldogs recorded an assist in the game, led by junior Roosevelt Jones who was playing his first game in more than a year.  Jones, who sat out last season after suffering a wrist injury during Butler's summer trip to Australia, finished with a game-high eight assists, while freshman Kelan Martin, playing his first game in a Butler uniform, added three assists.

Senior Kameron Woods also picked up on the team's unselfishness in practice and in the opener.

"For me, I think it's because we genuinely like each other," noted Woods.  "Not to say that it hasn't been that way in the past, but it feels a little bit different with this group."

"When it comes to being on the court together, we want to see each other succeed," added the Butler forward.

Chicago, the alma mater of legendary Butler coach Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle, scored the first four points of the game, but the Bulldogs responded with a 15-0 run and never looked back.  All five Butler starters, Dunham, Woods, Jones, Alex Barlow and Andrew Chrabascz, contributed to the opening run.

Butler opened the second half with a 17-2 run to take a 52-27 lead and put the game out of reach.  The Bulldogs stretched the lead to as many as 45 points late in the game, before settling for the 43-point win.

Woods and Chrabascz each narrowly missed a double-double in the win, both posting 12 points and nine rebounds.  Barlow chipped in with 10 points, and junior Austin Etherington had 10 points off the bench.  Jones and Martin each finished with eight points..

Jordan Smith and Waller Perez led Chicago with 11 points apiece.  Freshman Collin Barthel, the son of former Butler football player Tim Barthel, started for the Maroons and finished with five points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Butler will host Franklin on Saturday, Nov. 8, in its final exhibition contest.  That game at Hinkle Fieldhouse will start at 2 p.m.

Bulldog Bits:  All 11 eligible players for the Bulldogs saw action in the opener.  Freshman Tyler Wideman sat out the game with injury, while junior Tyler Lewis is sitting out the season after transferring from North Carolina State...Butler had 11 steals in the game, led by Roosevelt Jones with five.  Kameron Woods and Austin Etherington each had a pair of steals...Butler and Chicago paid tribute to Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle during the game.  Hinkle was inducted into the Chicago Hall of Fame last week, and a copy of his plaque was presented by Chicago Associate Athletic Director Brian Baldea to Coach Hinkle's daughter, Patty Watson.  Chicago also presented a game ball from Hinkle's senior year to Butler for display in Hinkle Fieldhouse.