Butler used its size and strength to bully South Carolina for a 79-72 win in the first game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia.
Michael Ajayi notched his fifth consecutive double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Finley Bizjack added 18 points.
Butler will face Virginia at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
What I liked in Butler basketball’s win over South Carolina
- Jalen Jackson’s ability to get downhill kept Butler’s offense afloat during a sluggish start to the game. Jackson scored four quick points, before looking to pass and setup teammates off penetration. Butler’s 3-pointers didn’t fall, and the Dawgs shot just 5 for 17 early, but Jackson’s willingness to create plays helped. He added a spinning layup late in the half, ending a scoring drought. Jackson has perfected the running floater in the lane. He gathered with two hands, making it difficult to tell if he’s shooting a floater or throwing a lob to a teammate.
- Butler attacked the paint and dominated the glass. The Dawgs outscored South Carolina 20-12 in the paint and outrebounded their opponents 27-15 in the first half. Butler finished with a 48-29 advantage in rebounding, and a 42-32 advantage in points in the paint.
- Jamie Kaiser Jr. rebounded well, pulling down five rebounds in the first half. His put back helped Butler take a seven-point lead into halftime. Kaiser was efficient as well, scoring 14 points on 5 for 5 shooting.
- Bizjack started slowly, missing his first three shots, but the junior stayed within himself. He broke through with a running floater off a pick and roll action with Yohan Traore. He showed off his elite shooting ability with a tough step-back 3-pointer later in the half. He scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half.
- The Butler defense did a good job slowing down South Carolina’s go-to scorer Meechie Johnson. Johnson finished with 24 points, but he needed 19 shots to do so. The length and strength of Ajayi and Kaiser was too much for the 6-foot-2 Johnson.
What I disliked in Butler basketball’s win over South Carolina
- Butler usually does a great job moving the ball, but the offense relied on a lot of one-on-one actions against the Gamecocks. Maybe the Dawgs knew they could exploit their mismatches, but they could’ve done a better job sharing the ball. Butler had just nine assists on 27 makes.
- Free throw shooting continues to be an issue. Five games in, it’s fair to say Butler is just a poor free throw shooting team. The Dawgs shot 20 for 34 (58.8%) from free throw line against South Carolina. They entered play shooting 67% from the charity stripe.
- Poor free throw shooting prevents Butler from putting teams away. It didn’t cost Butler, but it has to find ways to end games. The Dawgs seem to tense up late, leading to turnovers and other head-scratching decisions like Kaiser fouling a 3-point shooting Johnson with 12 seconds left. It’s always easier to learn lessons in a win, but the Dawgs have yet to play a complete game against quality competition.
What Butler basketball’s win over South Carolina means
The win shows that Butler can win ugly against teams it should beat. Butler did not play its best game, but it did enough to win. Against quality competition, Tuesday’s effort likely ends in a loss, but Butler proved it can do enough not to play down to its competition.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball score today vs South Carolina, game stats, likes, dislikes
