GAME 25: #19/20 BUTLER (18-6, 6-5 BIG EAST) VS. XAVIER (16-8, 5-6)
 
Full notes (PDF)
 
Wednesday, Feb. 12; 6:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: CBS Sports Network - Carter Blackburn, Pete Gillen & Jamie Erdahl
RADIO: 93.1FM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
TuneIn Radio App, Sirius 138, XM 202, SiriusXM Internet 965
 
The Bulldogs match up with rival Xavier for the first time this season when the Musketeers visit Hinkle Fieldhouse Wednesday night.
 
Butler is 18-6 overall and 6-5 in BIG EAST play. The Bulldogs are ranked 19th and 20th, respectively, in this week's national polls. Xavier has won three consecutive games, which has pushed its record to 16-8 (5-6 BIG EAST).
 
Butler and Xavier have spent the past seven seasons together in the BIG EAST, which is actually the third time the two programs have been conference rivals. Both competed in the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2012-13 and also spent 16 seasons together in the former Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now Horizon League) before Xavier left for the A-10 prior to the 1995-96 season.
 
This will be the 63rd meeting in the series between the two programs.
 
THE SERIES: Xavier Leads, 41-21
Streak: Butler, W1
In Indianapolis: Butler Leads, 16-14
First Meeting: Xavier, 28-26; 1/16/37 (Cincinnati)
Last Meeting: Butler, 71-66; 3/5/19 (Indianapolis)
 
• Xavier is the final BIG EAST team to hit Butler's schedule. The Bulldogs have played the other eight BIG EAST teams at least once (and two teams twice).
• Kamar Baldwin has led the Bulldogs in scoring in nine of the last 11 games.
• Baldwin is averaging 19.1 points per game in BIG EAST play, which is third in the conference.
• Aaron Thompson had seven assists Sunday at Marquette, his high so far this season in a BIG EAST game.
• Sean McDermott tied his career-high with four steals Sunday at Marquette.
• Bryce Nze had 14 points Sunday vs. Marquette, his season-high in a BIG EAST game.
• McDermott led Butler with 21 points in the Feb. 5 win over No. 10 Villanova; it was his seventh career 20-point game.
• Butler shot .577 in the win over Villano­va, the team's second-highest percentage of the season.
• Bryce Golden posted a career-best 18 points (9-12 FG) against Villanova.
• Butler leads the BIG EAST in rebound­ing margin in conference games (+4.3).
• Butler has out-rebounded 18 of its 24 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19.
• Through Monday's games, Butler's 12 NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins are fourth nationally (behind Kansas, Baylor and Seton Hall).
• Baldwin has been selected as one of the Top 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
• The Bulldogs are 15th in the nation, al­lowing only 61.2 points per game.
• Butler's field goal percentage defense (.384) is 18th nationally.
• Butler overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Georgetown on the road Jan. 28; Butler limited Georgetown to 21 points (7-of-33 shooting) in the second half.
• Baldwin is sixth on Butler's career scor­ing list with 1,844 points.
• Aaron Thompson (seventh) and Baldwin (ninth) hold two of the Top 10 spots on Butler's career assists list.
• McDermott's 185 career three-pointers are eighth in Butler program history.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Marquette pulled away in the second half to post 76-57 win over visiting Butler Sunday afternoon at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
 
The Golden Eagles hit 11 three-pointers and used a 28-8 advantage in free throw attempts to take the win.
 
Three consecutive three-pointers gave Marquette a 62-45 advantage with 6:09 to play after the Bulldogs had cut the lead to eight for the first time in the second half. That stretch proved to be the difference.
 
Markus Howard led the Golden Eagles with 17 points, while Brendan Bailey and Koby McEwen each scored 16. Bailey and McEwen combined to shoot 8-of-11 from behind the arc, and had all three of the triples during that key 9-0 run.
 
Kamar Baldwin, after scoring 31 in the overtime win over Marquette Jan. 24 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, led the Bulldogs with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Bryce Nze, playing near his hometown of Hartland, Wis., for the first time as a Bulldog, had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Aaron Thompson had seven assists.
 
BALLGAME: Kamar Baldwin's step-back three-pointer as time expired gave Butler a 79-76 win over No. 10 Villanova Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
 
Butler's closing stretch included the Bulldogs making nine of their final 11 attempts from the field. Villanova made five of its final six shots (all three-pointers) over the final 4:30 of the game. It was Saddiq Bey's three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining that tied the game. Butler held the lead since breaking a 56-56 tie with 9:15 on the clock.
 
A Baldwin three-pointer matched Butler's largest lead at 68-58 (5:44 remaining). But the teams would trade difficult makes down the stretch with most of Villanova's coming from behind the line to slowly chip away at the lead before Baldwin's heroics.
 
Butler shot 58 percent from the field, including 6-of-13 from three-point range. Villanova countered by shooting 47 percent, keyed by 9-of-17 shooting from behind the arc.
 
Sean McDermott led the Bulldogs with 21 points and eight rebounds. He went 7-of-8 from the field, and made all three of his three-point attempts. His offensive rebound and two free throws gave Butler its 76-73 lead with 32 seconds remaining so Bey's shot could only tie the game.
 
Bryce Golden scored a career-best 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Baldwin finished with 17 points and eight boards. Aaron Thompson, who missed the last three games with a wrist injury suffered in the Jan. 21 loss at Villanova, returned to action Wednesday night. He scored nine points in helping the Bulldogs to its most efficient offensive performance of the season.
 
Bey (29) and Collin Gillespie (28) combined for 57 of Villanova's 76 points. The Wildcats committed only three turnovers, compared to just six by the Bulldogs.
 
Golden's performance helped the Bulldogs to a 42-28 advantage in points in the paint.
 
COMING UP CLUTCH: Kamar Baldwin scored 16 second-half points at Marquette Sunday afternoon. It was the 12th time (out of 18) he scored double figures in the second half against a power conference opponent this season. In those 18 games, he is averaging 12.8 points per game after halftime.
 
All 20 of his points in the Jan. 4 win over Creighton came in the second half. His second-half performances include 18 vs. Minnesota, 17 vs. Stanford, 19 at Ole Miss, and 16 at Villanova, in addition to the 19 points in the second half vs. Marquette (followed by an additional 10 in overtime).
 
With 5:42 remaining in regulation vs. Marquette Jan. 24, Baldwin stepped to the line with eight points and Butler trailing by five. He scored 23 points over the next 10:42 of play. His defense also helped to hold Marquette's Markus Howard scoreless over the final 7:30 of play.
 
HANDLE WITH CARE: Butler committed only six turnovers in Wednesday's win over Villanova. The team has 11 games this season with 10 or fewer turnovers. The Bulldogs committed a season-low five turnovers at Villanova Jan. 21.
 
ON THE BOARDS: What was one of Butler's most glaring weaknesses a season ago has become a strength in 2019-20. The Bulldogs have out-rebounded 18 of its 24 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19. Butler has taken that up a level in BIG EAST play, out-rebounding opponents by an average margin of +4.3. Butler held a 46-24 rebounding advantage at St. John's in the BIG EAST opener on New Year's Eve, its largest margin since 63-28 vs. The Citadel Nov. 14, 2015. The Bulldogs also out-rebounded Providence, 44-26, in the Jan. 10 win in Rhode Island.
 
HOME SWEET HINKLE: Butler is 11-2 this season at home. The Bulldogs are averaging 73.1 points per game and shooting 48 percent from the field in those contests.
 
FINE LINE: In Butler's 18 wins, the Bulldogs have attempted 33 more free throws than its opponents (311-278). In the team's six losses, opponents have attempted 45 more free throws than Butler (140-95). On Sunday, Marquette had a 28-8 advantage in free throw attempts.
 
In BIG EAST play, opponents are +47 in getting to the line (238-191). In non-conference play (featuring seven power conference opponents), Butler was +35 in free throw attempts.