BUTLER 75, BRADLEY 70

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Official Basketball Box Score
Bradley vs Butler
12/10/02 7:30 pm at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Ind.)
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VISITORS: Bradley (2-3)
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
14 Granger, Danny...... f  9-15   1-1    7-13   2 10 12   4  26  1  4  2  1  36
35 Stewart, Michael.... c  0-1    0-0    1-2    0  3  3   3   1  0  0  0  0  28
04 Robinson, Marcello.. g  1-5    0-2    0-0    0  0  0   5   2  7  1  0  0  30
13 Gillingham, James... g  4-9    1-2    0-0    1  4  5   5   9  1  1  0  1  32
22 Gilbert, Phillip.... g  8-12   5-5    4-5    0  0  0   2  25  0  4  0  0  40
01 Mroz, Chris.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  2  0  0  0   3
02 Paul, Joey..........    1-3    0-1    0-0    1  0  1   3   2  0  0  0  0  16
05 Sunley, Ryan........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0  0+
23 Suggs, Mike.........    0-1    0-0    3-4    0  3  3   0   3  0  0  0  0   8
50 Battle, Jabbar......    1-3    0-0    0-2    3  1  4   1   2  0  2  0  1   7
   TEAM................                         1  2  3
   Totals..............   24-49   7-11  15-26   8 23 31  24  70 11 12  2  3 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-23 65.2%   2nd Half:  9-26 34.6%   Game: 49.0%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-5  80.0%   2nd Half:  3-6  50.0%   Game: 63.6%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  8-17 47.1%   2nd Half:  7-9  77.8%   Game: 57.7%   5,2

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HOME TEAM: Butler (6-0)
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
22 Monserez, Mike...... f  5-11   0-5    2-2    2  6  8   3  12  3  1  0  1  34
51 Curry, Lewis........ f  0-1    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   5   0  0  0  0  0  12
33 Cornette, Joel...... c  5-11   0-0    4-4    3  5  8   3  14  1  3  1  0  38
04 Miller, Brandon..... g  7-14   1-5    6-11   0  1  1   2  21  1  1  0  3  37
10 Archey, Darnell..... g  3-10   2-6    7-7    1  2  3   0  15  0  1  0  0  35
01 Lightfoot, Duane....    3-6    0-0    3-4    2  4  6   4   9  1  0  1  2  18
03 Horan, Bruce........    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0  11
21 Sheets, Avery.......    0-2    0-1    4-4    0  0  0   0   4  0  0  0  0   7
23 Walls, Rob..........    0-0    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   1   0  0  0  0  0   4
34 James, Jeff.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  1  0  0   4
   TEAM................                         3  3  6             1
   Totals..............   23-56   3-19  26-32  12 22 34  20  75  6  8  2  6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-30 50.0%   2nd Half:  8-26 30.8%   Game: 41.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-9  11.1%   2nd Half:  2-10 20.0%   Game: 15.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  8-11 72.7%   2nd Half: 18-21 85.7%   Game: 81.3%   2,1

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Officials: David Warfel, Brad Fowler, Eddie Jackson
Technical fouls: Bradley-None. Butler-None.
Attendance: 4064
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Bradley.......................   42   28  -   70
Butler........................   39   36  -   75
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DAVE'S POSTGAME ANALYSIS

For the first time this season, the Butler Bulldogs were challenged by an opponent for a full 40 minutes. But the Bulldogs were able to overcome a cold-shooting night from 3-point range and defeat the Bradley Braves, 75-70. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-0 lead on a conventional 3-point play and a layup by Brandon Miller. Bradley then reeled off eight straight points, and eventually took a 15-8 lead at the 14:25 mark. Butler responded with a 9-0 spurt to regain the lead at 17-15. The remained of the half was back-and-forth, with six ties and three lead changes, and Bradley took a three point lead into halftime, 42-39. The Braves shot a blistering 65% from the field in the opening frame, led by Phillip Gilbert's 17 points (6-of-9 FG, 3-for-3 3-pointers) and Danny Granger's 14 points (6-of-7 FG). The score remained close for the opening minutes of the second half. A 9-0 Butler run turned a 3-point Bradley advantage into a 55-49 Butler lead, their biggest of the night, with 13:00 remaining. The Bulldogs held that lead until the 5:23 mark, when a pair of Granger free throws put Bradley up 62-61. Butler regained the lead with a layup and a pair of free throws from Mike Monserez, but the Braves fought right back with a pair of baskets of their own to lead 66-65 with 3:06 to go. It would prove to be their last lead of the game, as Monserez fed a beautiful pass to Duane Lightfoot, Jr. for a layup. The Braves missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 1:05 to go, Lightfoot was fouled, and converted one of two free throws for a 68-66 lead. Bradley failed to score at the other end, and fouled Darnell Archey. Arch sunk free throw numbers 59 and 60 in a row, but Bradley quickly brought the ball up the court and got a layup from James Gillingham to make it 70-68 with 22 seconds to go. After a timeout, the Braves denied Archey the ball and fouled freshman Avery Sheets. Sheets calmy sank both free throws to once again make it a two possession game at 72-68 with 20 seconds remaining. But the visitors refused to give up, and Gillingham made another quick basket to make it 72-70 with 15 seconds remaining. Butler had to use two timeouts to avoid a 5-second call, but on their third inbounds attempt had Archey take the ball out, pass across the baseline out of bounds to Monserez (which is legal off a made basket), then step inbounds to receive a return pass from Mike. Arch was fouled and ran his consecutive free throw streak up to 62 in a row with a pair of makes. Bradley was unable to score on their end, and Butler wound up taking the ball out under the Braves' basket. Monserez, noting that his defender had his back to him as Mike was inbounding the ball, bounced the ball off the Bradley player's backside, stepped inbounds, and picked up the carom before his defender realized what had happened. Miller eventually got the ball, was fouled and made one of two free throws to put the final score at 75-70.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Monserez. I personally feel that brilliant inbounds play earns him the honor by itself, but he also scored 12 points, pulled down eight rebounds, and dished out three assists with just one turnover in 34 minutes. He had several key rebounds down the stretch, and continues to display great vision in finding his teammates with crisp passes.

As is usually the case with Butler, it was a team effort that produced the victory. Miller led the Bulldogs with 21 points, and also made three steals and just one turnover in 37 minutes. Archey finished with 15 points, and as previously mentioned, hit all seven free throws which puts him at 62 in a row, just 11 behind the NCAA record of 73 straight. Cornette added 14 points and eight rebounds, and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line, hitting nothing but net on all four attempts. Lightfoot was solid yet again off the bench, finishing with nine points and six rebounds along with a pair of steals despite being limited to just 18 minutes with foul trouble. Sheets hit all four of his free throws to finish with four points. Bradley was led by Granger's double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Gilbert added 25 points (5-of-5 3-point FG).

It was good to see the Bulldogs pull out a tough game like this one. In some ways it was eerily similar to Butler's last-second loss at home to UW-Milwaukee last season, but tonight the Dawgs did a much better job of closing out the game--making clutch free throws, getting key rebounds, and avoiding mental lapses. Granger was very effective in the first half of setting a high screen, waiting for his man to help on the ball, then positioning himself down low for a return pass and subsequent layup. Butler did a better job defending him after halftime, holding him to just 3-of-8 shooting after missing just one attempt in the opening 20 minutes. Granger said he just simply missed shots in the second half, but coach Jim Les said that Butler was more physical with him and forced him away from the basket. Butler was just 3-of-19 (15.8%) from 3-point range, but got to the free throw line 32 times, converting on 26 of those attempts for 81%. Much like the Indiana State game, Bradley's defense took away Butler's perimeter attack, so the Bulldogs drove to the basket and got their points at the line. It's good to know that we can still win even if the longball isn't falling. As coach Todd Lickliter said after the game, "If we can counter a tough 3-point night with free throws, I'm happy." When asked about the signficance of consecutive 6-0 starts, Lickliter simply replied, "We've met a difficult challenge six times in a row (this season), and I'm proud of that."

A tough road trip awaits the Bulldogs on Saturday when they travel to Oxford, OH, to face the Miami Redhawks. Miami's style tends to be quite similar to Butler's (and nearly the polar opposite of Bradley), so it should be quite a defensive battle. Game time is Saturday December 14, at 8:00 p.m. EST. Hope to see you there.

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