A career afternoon from Chuck Harris led the Bulldogs to an 80-66 win over Tennessee Tech Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
 
With the win, Butler improves to 6-3; Tennessee Tech is now 3-6.
 
KEY STAT: Harris scored a career-high 32 points, knocking down 10 of his 16 attempts from the field. Six of those makes came from three-point range, which set another career-high for the junior. Harris played all 40 minutes, adding five rebounds and two assists against no turnovers. He is now 24^th on Butler's career three-pointers list with 114 makes.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Manny Bates had 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks for the Bulldogs. Eleven of his points came in the second half as he went 4-for-5 from the field. He, along with Harris, played all 40 minutes.
• Eric Hunter Jr. added 12 points, six rebounds, a career-high three blocks, three assists, and two steals.
• The Bulldogs tied a season-high with 21 free throw attempts, making a season-best 17.
• Butler shot 51 percent from the field.
• Jayvis Harvey led Tennessee Tech with 16 points, coming off the bench to do so.
• Each team had 33 rebounds and committed only six turnovers.

 
HOW IT TRANSPIRED: A 14-0 run early in the first half gave the Bulldogs a 19-6 lead with 12:53 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs were unable to open a larger lead throughout the first half and Tennessee Tech eventually cut the lead to only four at intermission (37-33).
 
The second half was much of the same as the Bulldogs could not generate breathing room. A 10-3 spurt by TTU cut the lead to only one at 60-59 with 8:38 remaining in the game. The next seven points belonged to the Bulldogs and the lead finally grew to 17 in the final minute, which was the largest advantage of the contest.
 
OF NOTE:

• Saturday's win over Tennessee Tech was the sixth time in nine games this season that the Bulldogs have shot 50 percent or better from the field, and the fifth time this season shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range.
• Butler is 69-2 over its last 71 non-conference home games.
• This was the first meeting between the two basketball programs.
• Butler's starters played 177 of a possible 200 total minutes vs. Tennessee Tech.
• Butler is 6-0 this season when leading at halftime.
• Bates entered the game eighth nationally in blocks per game at 2.9 per game.

 
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs continue their homestand Tuesday, hosting Yale for a 6:30 p.m. tip. Tickets remain available for the contest, which will also be broadcast on FS1.