Butler put seven players in double figures, capping off the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 101-52 win over NJIT Monday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
 
Michael Ajayi went over 1,000 career points and posted his tenth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
 
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 10-3 on the season, while NJIT falls to 4-9.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Butler scored the first 17 points of the game before an NJIT free throw with 12:02 remaining in the first half got the Highlanders on the scoreboard.
• The first-half lead would grow to as many as 28 before the Bulldogs went into the locker rooms with a 46-19 lead.
• The Bulldogs stayed hot in the second half, shooting 58 percent in building the lead to as many as 51 in the closing minutes.

 
TIP-INS:

• The last game that featured seven Bulldogs in double figures was Butler's 144-71 win over The Citadel, Nov. 14, 2015.
• The Bulldogs were without Jamie Kaiser Jr., who left Saturday's win over Northwestern with an ankle injury. Yame Butler made his first start in a Bulldog uniform in his place.
• Butler finishes the non-conference portion of its schedule with a mark of 9-2. The Bulldogs are currently 1-1 in BIG EAST play.
• Drayton Jones scored 14 points for the Bulldogs, his new high in a Butler uniform.
• Evan Haywood scored 13 points and has now scored in double figures in four consecutive games.
• Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor scored a career-high 13 points in the contest. Finley Bizjack (11), Azavier Robinson (10), and Yohan Traore (11) also reached double figures.
• The Bulldogs shot 56 percent from the field, while holding NJIT to a 38-percent clip.
• Butler held a 46-22 rebounding advantage, the seventh time in 13 games this season that the Bulldogs have out-rebounded their opponent by at least 10.
• The Bulldogs went 24-for-32 from the free throw line. Entering the game, Butler was averaging 27.2 free throw attempts per game, 19th nationally.
• Sebastian Robinson scored 15 points for NJIT; John Kelly added 14.
• The only prior match-up between Butler and NJIT was a Bulldog win at Hinkle Fieldhouse Dec. 28, 2013. Three days later -- on New Year's Eve -- Butler played its first conference game as a member of the BIG EAST.

 
UP NEXT: The tip against NJIT closes out the non-conference portion of Butler's schedule. The Bulldogs return to BIG EAST action Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Creighton. Butler's next home game is Jan. 3 against Villanova.