BUTLER 70, DETROIT 69 (OT)

[BUTLER LOGO]
Official Basketball Box Score
Detroit vs Butler
01/17/04 12:00 pm at Indianapolis, Ind. (Hinkle Fieldhouse)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Detroit (8-7)(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
33 Wallace, Willie..... f  2-4    0-0    0-2    1  2  3   4   4  1  0  0  0  28
40 Warren, Elijah...... f  6-13   4-9    4-4    2  2  4   3  20  3  1  1  1  41
45 Covile, Ryvon....... c  7-9    0-0    2-2    2  6  8   3  16  1  0  2  1  37
05 Harris, Rulon....... g  2-8    1-3    0-0    0  1  1   2   5  4  1  0  0  30
15 Thues, James........ g  1-2    0-0    0-0    0  2  2   2   2  3  1  0  0  30
01 Twyman, Jimmy.......    4-8    3-7    0-0    0  0  0   1  11  2  0  0  0  26
24 Green, Ben..........    1-1    1-1    0-0    0  0  0   2   3  0  0  1  0  11
55 Baker, Torvoris.....    3-5    0-0    2-3    1  2  3   1   8  1  1  2  0  22
   TEAM................                            1  1             1
   Totals..............   26-50   9-20   8-11   6 16 22  18  69 15  5  6  2 225


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-24 45.8%   2nd Half: 11-21 52.4%   OT:  4-5  80.0%   Game: 52.0%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-8  25.0%   2nd Half:  5-10 50.0%   OT:  2-2  100 %   Game: 45.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-7  85.7%   2nd Half:  2-3  66.7%   OT:  0-1   0.0%   Game: 72.7%    1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Butler (6-9)(2-4)
                          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  7-13   3-7    7-8    1  3  4   3  24  7  3  0  0  43
34 James, Jeff......... f  2-3    0-0    4-4    2  1  3   1   8  0  0  0  0  20
35 Smalligan, Jamie.... c  1-5    0-3    0-0    1  1  2   2   2  0  1  0  0  27
03 Horan, Bruce........ g  2-6    2-6    2-3    1  3  4   1   8  1  0  1  0  38
21 Sheets, Avery....... g  3-8    1-2    0-0    1  2  3   0   7  1  0  0  0  37
01 Lightfoot, Duane....    6-13   0-1    3-4    3  5  8   4  15  0  0  0  1  35
24 Ligon, Brian........    1-1    0-0    0-0    1  2  3   0   2  0  0  0  0  10
44 Brooks, Nick........    1-3    1-2    1-2    0  1  1   2   4  0  1  0  0  15
   TEAM................                         3  1  4
   Totals..............   23-52   7-21  17-21  13 19 32  13  70  9  5  1  1 225


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-22 45.5%   2nd Half: 10-23 43.5%   OT:  3-7  42.9%   Game: 44.2%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-5  20.0%   2nd Half:  4-12 33.3%   OT:  2-4  50.0%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  8-11 72.7%   2nd Half:  6-7  85.7%   OT:  3-3  100 %   Game: 81.0%   4,1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Terry Wymer, Dan Fouser, Michael Conlin
Technical fouls: Detroit-None. Butler-None.
Attendance: 4345
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   OT   Total
Detroit.......................   30   29   10  -   69
Butler........................   29   30   11  -   70
------------------------------------------------------------------------

DAVE'S POSTGAME ANALYSIS

The Butler Bulldogs won back-to-back games for the first time since the beginning of the season with a thrilling 70-69 overtime win over the Detroit Titans at Hinkle Fieldhouse. After a Detroit basket by Elijah Warren to open the game 2-0, the Bulldogs scored six straight points to take an early 6-2 advantage. Butler led by six three times, the last coming after a Nick Brooks three-pointer made it 17-11. They would stay in the lead from the 17:29 mark until a Ryvon Covile dunk with 2:58 left in the half put the Titans on top 26-25. Each team scored four points to close out the half, and Detroit led 30-29. Detroit never trailed in the second half, draining several big three-pointers to give themselves some breathing room whenever Butler seemed to be making a run. Detroit pushed its advantage out to seven points on three occasions, the first two of which were via the long ball and the third after a Covile layup made it 55-48 with 6:34 remaining in regulation. Back-to-back triples from Mike Monserez and Bruce Horan cut the Detroit lead to one at 55-54. Covile's layup with 3:03 left made it 57-54, which is where the score remained for the next minute and a half. Warren was called for an offensive foul with 1:52 left and his basket was waved off. Duane Lightfoot was then called for a charge at the other end at the 1:32 mark. But the officials ruled that Duane's shot left his hands before he made the foul (a review of the game tape will verify this), so Butler pulled to within one at 57-56. But Covile was able to slip past his defender on the baseline and threw down a dunk to make it 59-56 with just over a minute remaining. Down but not out, Butler stayed patient on offense and was rewarded for doing so. Monserez drove the lane and was triple-teamed, then kicked a pass out to Avery Sheets. Sheets, who easily could have taken a good look at a game-tying shot, instead immediately passed it to Horan in the corner, who then buried a three-point to knot the score at 59 apiece with 35 seconds left. Detroit held for the last shot, but Warren's deep three-pointer bounced away and we were headed for overtime.

Butler controlled the opening tip, and Monserez eventually worked his way underneath and converted a conventional three-point play to make it 62-59. Butler fouled Willie Wallace, but he missed the front end of his one-and-one. The Bulldogs controlled the rebound but were unable to score on their next two possessions, and back-to-back three pointers by Warren and Jimmy Twyman over that span gave Detroit a 65-62 lead with 2:04 remaining. Monserez hit a step-away three-pointer to tie the score at 65, but a Covile layup put Detroit back on top 67-65 with 1:17 left. Monserez then buried another step-away three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 68-67 lead with under a minute to go. Detroit worked the shot clock down and eventually got the ball to Twyman for what was initially ruled a made three-pointer, but the officials looked at the courtside TV monitors and correctly determined that the ball was still in Twyman's hands as the shot clock expired. After a timeout by each team, Butler inbounded the ball to Lightfoot, who was immediately fouled. Duane calmly sank both free throws to give Butler a 70-67 advantage with just over five seconds left. After a Butler timeout, Detroit inbounded the ball and James Thues started on the left side, used a screen to get to the top of the key, and released the potential game-tying shot. It found nothing but net, but there was a question as to whether or not he was behind the arc. Again the referees huddled around the replay monitor, where it clearly showed that Thues' right foot was well in front of the three-point arc. After they determined that time had expired while the shot was still in the air, the final decision was a two-point basket and the game was over, with Butler winning 70-69.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Monserez. Mike followed a 25-point/9-rebound/6-assist effort in the win over Loyola Thursday with a 24-point/4-rebound/7-assist game today. He scored nine of Butler's 11 points in overtime. I haven't seen all the box scores from around the Horizon League this week, but I'd have to think he's in good position to be named HL Player of the Week after the two games he's had.

Fellow senior Lightfoot added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench, where he seems to have regained his usual spark after returning to the role of sixth man that he excelled at last season. Horan finished with eight points and four rebounds, while Jeff James added eight points and three rebounds. Sheets had seven points and three rebounds. Brooks added four points off the bench, while fellow freshmen Jamie Smalligan and Brian Ligon added two points apiece. Ligon also pulled down three rebounds, while Smalligan had two boards. Detroit was led by Warren's 20 points.

Much will be made about the TV replays, but a review of the game film will show that the referees eventually made the correct call in each case. Would Butler have won had the game not been televised? Who knows? I could very easily be writing a much different recap had FoxSports not broadcasted today's game. But that would also be the case if Butler hadn't hit several clutch shots at the end of regulation and in overtime, or if they hadn't outrebounded Detroit 32-22 (including 13 offensive boards), or if they hadn't shot 81% at the foul line, or any number of other things the Bulldogs did throughout the game to put themselves in position to win the game that had nothing to do with a TV monitor. It was a great basketball game, and should make for a very intense rematch at Calihan Hall next month.

After a pair of big wins at home, the Bulldogs return to the road for one game before returning to Hinkle for four straight. Butler will look for its first road win in Horizon League play and just its second overall when they face the Youngstown State Penguins. Game time is Wednesday, January 21, at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Back to the Butler Basketball Page

DISCLAIMER: This page is not endorsed by, run by, or otherwise affiliated with Butler University. It is maintained by yours truly, an alumnus, with the sole intent of being the best place for Butler Men's Hoops info on the Internet.

[counter]

This page hosted by [Geocities] Get your own Free Home Page