GAME 26: #19/20 BUTLER (19-6, 7-5 BIG EAST) VS. GEORGETOWN (14-10, 4-7)
 
The Bulldogs finish off a stretch Saturday afternoon that has seen Butler play four of its last five at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Saturday's opponent is Georgetown, which Butler defeated in come-from-behind fashion Jan. 28 in Washington, D.C.
 
Butler enters the contest with a record of 19-6, including 7-5 in BIG EAST play. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 19 and No. 20, respectively, in this week's national polls. Georgetown is 14-10 (4-7).
 
Full Notes (PDF)

THE DETAILS:
Saturday, Feb. 15; 2:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FOX - @TimBrando, Donny Marshall & @TheAndyKatz
RADIO: 93.5/107.5/1070 - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
TuneIn Radio App, Sirius 137, XM 201, SiriusXM Internet 964
 
• Butler is 12-2 this season at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Through Wednesday's games, Butler's 13 NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins are second nationally (with Baylor and Seton Hall), trailing only Kansas.
• Butler is one win away from its 20th 20- win campaign over the past 24 seasons.
• Kamar Baldwin has led the Bulldogs in scoring in nine of the last 12 games.
• Baldwin is averaging 18.4 points per game in BIG EAST play, which is third in the conference.
• Butler's bench out-scored Xavier's, 23-6, in Wednesday's win over the Musketeers.
• Aaron Thompson has 18 assists against only two turnovers in his last four games.
• Sean McDermott tied his career-high with seven three-pointers in the win over Georgetown Jan. 28.
• The Bulldogs are 13th in the nation, al­lowing only 61.2 points per game.
• Butler's field goal percentage defense (.386) is 22nd 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.
• Butler leads the BIG EAST in rebound­ing margin in conference games (+3.9).
• Butler has out-rebounded 18 of its 25 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19.
• Baldwin has been selected as one of the Top 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, and as one of 30 for the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
• Baldwin is sixth on Butler's career scor­ing list with 1,855 points; he has scored 1,063 points in 66 career BIG EAST games (16.1 scoring average).
• Thompson (seventh) and Baldwin (ninth) hold two of the Top 10 spots on Butler's career assists list.
• McDermott's 187 career three-pointers are eighth in Butler program history.
 
THE SERIES: Georgetown Leads, 8-7
Streak: Butler, W2
In Indianapolis: Georgetown Leads, 5-1
First Meeting: Georgetown, 72-65, 12/8/09
(Jimmy V Classic; New York City)
Last Meeting: Butler, 69-64; 1/28/20
(Washington, D.C.)
 
FIRST TIME AROUND: Senior Sean McDermott helped Butler erase an 11-point halftime deficit, matching his career-high with seven three-pointers in a 69-64 road win over Georgetown Jan. 28 in the nation's capital. McDermott finished with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
 
Georgetown led by as many as 14 in the first half, but the halftime speech in the Butler locker room worked as the Bulldogs opened the second stanza by scoring 18 of the first 21 points. Eleven straight from McDermott gave the Bulldogs a 50-46 lead with 14:05 remaining.
 
Butler would never trail after re-taking the lead early in the second half, but Georgetown would tie it on two occasions. The last came at 64-64 with 1:29 to play. Jordan dialed up McDermott's number on a pick-and-pop and the senior cashed in his seventh three-pointer of the contest. Kamar Baldwin followed with two free throws as the Bulldogs shut the host Hoyas out the rest of the way.
 
Twelve of Baldwin's 13 points came in the second half. He and McDermott combined for 26 over the final 20 minutes. Butler was without Aaron Thompson, who missed the game with a wrist injury.
 
Butler's second-half defense limited Georgetown to 21-percent shooting (7-of-33) and only 21 points after the Hoyas scored 43 points prior to halftime. Butler's defense was aided by committing only three turnovers in the second half after 12 before the break.
 
LAST TIME OUT: No. 19 Butler earned a 66-61 win in a slugfest Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Butler got a spark from its bench, out-scoring their Musketeer counterparts, 23-6.
 
All nine of Henry Baddley's nine points came in the first half, while Jordan Tucker put up all of his 10 after the intermission.
 
Senior Sean McDermott led the Bulldogs with 14 points and six rebounds, while classmate Kamar Baldwin added 11 points and five assists.
 
After taking a 32-23 halftime lead, the Bulldogs opened the second half by scoring 10 of the first 12 points, taking a 42-25 lead with 16:19 to play. That was Butler's largest lead. Butler point guard Aaron Thompson was injured on that play and did not return. Xavier responded with the next 11 points to trim the lead to six (42-36). Butler then re-grouped for the win.
 
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 19 games, he is averaging 12.4 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 nine turnovers in Wednesday's win over Xavier. The team has 12 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 25 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 +3.9, which leads the conference. 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 12-2 this season at home. The Bulldogs are averaging 72.6 points per game and shooting 48 percent from the field in those contests.
 
NO REST FOR THE WEARY: Each BIG EAST team receives two "byes" during conference play where the team will not play a mid-week or weekend game in a particular week. Butler's first bye came prior to the Jan. 10 win at Providence. The Bulldogs' second bye comes after the Feb. 23 game at Creighton. Saturday's game will be Butler's 11th in 37 days. In an odd scheduling quirk, Georgetown will be Butler's fourth opponent in the last six games that will be playing the Bulldogs directly following a bye. Georgetown also had a bye prior to the Jan. 28 game with Butler.
 
FINE LINE: In Butler's 19 wins, the Bulldogs have attempted 35 more free throws than its opponents (324-289). 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 +45 in getting to the line (249-204). In non-conference play (featuring seven power conference opponents), Butler was +35 in free throw attempts.