After a tough loss in Detroit, Butler needed to make a statement to turn their season around.  The Bulldogs came out barking, owning the paint, denying the perimeter, and dominating every phase of their matchup against YSU on Thursday.  The Penguins trailed by double digits most of the game, cut the Bulldog lead to four in the second half, but couldn’t get any closer, falling 68-59, to fall into a third place tie with the Bulldogs in the Horizon League standings.

In the first half, the Penguins went over thirteen minutes without scoring a field goal.  You cannot win a basketball game when you are unable to score.  Butler held a 35-25 lead at the half thanks in part to balance.  Nine Bulldogs scored at least a point in the opening session.  Leading the way was Ronald Nored with five.  Youngstown State got six points from both Kendrick Perry and Blake Allen.  However, the Penguins went only 2-9 from deep range, which they rely heavily upon.

“I thought that our defensive effort was really solid in the first half”, remarked Brad Stevens.  “We wanted to jump out there and take their three-point shooters out of the game and we did a really good job with that tonight.”

YSU Coach Jerry Slocum agreed.  “It was as bad of a first half as we have played all year.  This is the second time at home that we could not focus or play with the proper intensity.”

In the second half, YSU went down 14 early but roared back on a pair of buckets from Ashen Ward and Perry to cut the Butler lead to 40-34 with 13:28 left in the game.  Perry then ran the floor on a break and used a nice hesitation move to put in a two-pointer that saw the Penguins down only four, at 40-36 with 12:18 left.

“It was the exact same sore with the exact same amount of time last as last year’s game when we had the eight point lead”, said Butler Coach Brad Stevens.  “I coached as hard as I could to avoid any letdown like last year, and the guys responded and held the lead.”

Roosevelt Jones and Nored hit buckets to stretch the lead back to eight at around the ten minute mark.  Butler was setting up a half court offense and then going into a three-man weave ,a la the Harlem Globetrotters.  Trailing 47-40, Perry swished a three with 8:24 left in the game.  Butler just kept attacking the hoop or shooting the three with no comfortable medium.

Butler pushed the lead back to eight on a charity toss by Jones, but Perry connected quick from the other end to make it a 51-45 game. Chrishawn Hawkins nabbed a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 4:54 remaining and tacked in a two from close range and Butler looked poise to hold their lead, now ahead 59-47.  Damian Eargle (above) tried to get YSU back in the game as he was fouled while scoring, but typical of the night, he missed the free throw to leave it at 59-49 in favor of the visiting Bulldogs.

Butler got good offensive production out of Hopkins, who finished the game with 19 points.  Nored had a very good game for the Bulldogs as he finished with 8 markers, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Jackson Aldridge chipped in 14 more points.

Youngstown State got 21 from Perry, 11 from Eargle, and 10 from Ward.  The loss puts YSU at 13-11, and 8-6 in Horizon League play.  Nothing gets easier for the Penguins as Valparaiso comes to town Saturday night.

“I think Valpo is the best team in the league”, said Slocum.  “I knew we were in for a challenging week.  We played well on the road and were really focused, and that was definitely not the case tonight.”