BUTLER 57, NORTHWESTERN 53

Official Basketball Box Score Northwestern vs Butler 11/26/08 7 p.m. at Indianapolis, Ind. (Hinkle Fieldhouse) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Northwestern 3-1 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 24 Shurna, John........ f 2-4 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 1 5 0 4 1 1 11 44 Coble, Kevin........ f 1-4 1-1 0-2 0 7 7 0 3 3 2 1 2 38 54 Rowley, Kyle........ c 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 2 20 Moore, Craig........ g 4-11 3-8 0-0 0 7 7 4 11 2 2 0 0 40 22 Thompson, Michael... g 4-8 2-4 2-2 1 0 1 4 12 2 3 0 0 31 03 Capocci, Mike....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 05 Ryan, Jeff.......... 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 8 12 Mirkovic, Luka...... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 7 21 Peljusic, Ivan...... 5-8 0-0 1-2 2 4 6 2 11 3 2 1 0 29 23 Nash, Jeremy........ 2-5 1-2 0-0 2 0 2 4 5 0 1 0 1 19 32 Williams, Sterling.. 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 14 TEAM................ 1 1 1 Totals.............. 21-44 8-17 3-6 7 22 29 21 53 14 17 3 4 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-22 68.2% 2nd Half: 6-22 27.3% Game: 47.7% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-9 66.7% 2nd Half: 2-8 25.0% Game: 47.1% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 0-0 0.0% 2nd Half: 3-6 50.0% Game: 50.0% 2,1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Butler 4-0 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 21 Veasley, Willie..... f 4-6 0-1 2-3 2 2 4 2 10 1 3 0 0 28 54 Howard, Matt........ f 5-9 0-1 7-7 2 4 6 1 17 0 2 0 3 38 01 Mack, Shelvin....... g 2-7 1-5 2-4 1 1 2 4 7 1 2 0 1 31 05 Nored, Ronald....... g 2-5 0-0 2-4 1 0 1 0 6 1 2 1 0 32 20 Hayward, Gordon..... g 4-8 2-6 3-4 1 5 6 3 13 2 1 1 2 37 02 Vanzant, Shawn...... 0-2 0-1 1-2 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 10 03 Hahn, Zach.......... 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 22 Leiendecker, Grant.. 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 24 Jukes, Avery........ 1-3 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 7 32 Butcher, Garrett.... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 Team................ 1 1 Totals.............. 18-45 4-20 17-24 10 13 23 14 57 6 11 2 7 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 7-20 35.0% 2nd Half: 11-25 44.0% Game: 40.0% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-10 10.0% 2nd Half: 3-10 30.0% Game: 20.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 12-16 75.0% 2nd Half: 5-8 62.5% Game: 70.8% 1,4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Steve Skiles, Lamont Simpson, Bo Boroski Technical fouls: Northwestern-None. Butler-None. Attendance: 4727 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Northwestern.................. 36 17 - 53 Butler........................ 27 30 - 57 Points in the paint-NU 22,BU 24. Points off turnovers-NU 14,BU 20. 2nd chance points-NU 6,BU 10. Fast break points-NU 2,BU 8. Bench points-NU 20,BU 4. Score tied-3 times. Lead changed-11 times. Last FG-NU 2nd-01:09, BU 2nd-00:30. Largest lead-NU by 12 1st-02:59, BU by 5 2nd-02:08.

MY POSTGAME ANALYSIS
The Butler Bulldogs overcame a 12-point first-half deficit and an over-15 minute stretch without a field goal to defeat the Northwestern Wildcats 57-53 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler's largest lead of the opening frame came on a Gordon Hayward steal and layup to put the Bulldogs on top 16-12 at the 12:08 mark. That was the last field goal the hosts would score in the half, as Northwestern used a 19-3 run to take a 31-19 advantage with 2:59 remaining in the period. The Wildcats matched that lead at 33-19 and went into halftime ahead 36-27. Butler had seven first-half field goals, four of which were fast-break layups off steals. NU shot a blistering 68% overall and 67% from the arc, compared to 35% and 10%, respectively, for Butler. Hayward's three-pointer at the 16:49 mark ended Butler's field goal drought and keyed a 16-4 Bulldog run, giving the hosts a 43-42 lead with 7:10 to go. The lead changed hands two more times before Michael Thompson's three-pointer knotted the score at 47 apiece. Ronald Nored's layup with just over three minutes left gave Butler the lead for good and sparked a 5-0 run to give the Bulldogs some breathing room with 2:08 left. A Thompson layup and a Craig Moore layup off a steal pulled Northwestern within one, but Howard's putback of a Hayward missed three-pointer put Butler back in control, 54-51. After a missed three-pointer by Moore, Hayward and Thompson exchanged pairs of made free throws, and Shelvin Mack's free throw set the final margin at four, with the Bulldogs prevailing 57-53.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Howard. He led all scorers with 17 points, pulled down six rebounds, and made three steals.
Hayward finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Willie Veasley added 10 points and four rebounds. Mack had seven points, while Nored finished with six. Butler got four bench points: three from Avery Jukes and one from Shawn Vanzant. NU was led by Thompsons's 12 points.
It was definitely a tale of two halves. Butler shot 44% in the second half and held the Wildcats to 27%. The Bulldogs also forced 17 turnovers while committing just 11. NU's defense disrupted Butler's offensive flow, as evidenced by just six assists on 18 Bulldog baskets. But as coach Brad Stevens pointed out, the Bulldogs did what they needed to in order to win. It was a young team's first bout with adversity, and they overcame a double-digit deficit to get the victory.
After a day off for Thanksgiving, the Bulldogs close out their four-game homestand when they welcome the Evansville Purple Aces. Game time is Saturday, November 29, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Hope to see you there.
Game photos, courtesy ndfan1993

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