Indystar reports: Two sophomores made sure there was something to celebrate on Butler’s Senior Day.
Shelvin Mack scored 23 points and Gordon Hayward had his fourth straight double-double, leading No. 18 Butler over Siena 70-53 today in college basketball before 9,111 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
It was the Bulldogs’ 17th consecutive victory, extending a school record and the nation’s longest active streak. Their past six wins have come by 11 or more points.
Butler completed a regular home season with a 13-0 record.
Butler goes for an 18-0 record in the Horizon League in Friday’s game at Valparaiso. That is the Bulldogs’ final game before a March 6 semifinal in the league tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Butler trailed 31-28 at halftime but regained the lead early in the second half and built the margin to 20 points. Butler shot 61 percent (14-of-23) in the second half, 52 percent (25-of-48) for the game and 45 percent (9-of-20) on 3-pointers.
Hayward and Mack helped Team USA win a gold medal at July’s under-19 World Championship in New Zealand.
Their efforts today could help Butler (25-4) secure a favorable seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament. Hayward finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Mack scored 12 points in the closing 6 1/2 minutes as the Bulldogs pulled away.
Butler played much of the game without two starters, Matt Howard and Willie Veasley. Howard was limited to 19 minutes by foul trouble, and Veasley, a senior, was sidelined by a sprained knee.
It was the 81st victory for Butler’s Brad Stevens, tying the NCAA record for wins by a coach in his third season. Two other coaches – Nevada’s Mark Fox and Gonzaga’s Mark Few – also won 81 games in their first three seasons.
Siena (22-6) was led by Clarence Jackson’s 24 points and Ryan Rossiter’s 10.
Ronald Moore, the NCAA leader in assists, shot 0-of-9 from the field and had four assists, half his average.
The Bulldogs started 8-of-10 from the field in building leads of 16-7 and 20-11.
They sank four 3-pointers in the first four minutes, two by Avery Jukes, a senior making the first start of his career.
After that, the Bulldogs stalled. They scored 20 points in little more than six minutes, then had eight the rest of the first half.
They shot 3-of-15 and fell behind 31-28 at halftime. After beginning 4-of-5 from the 3-point line, Butler was 1-of-8 the rest of the half.
The Saints swarmed Howard, who was limited to two points in the half and was charged with three turnovers and two fouls.
Jackson scored 14 points in the first eight minutes, keeping the Saints close.
