Jalen Jackson produced 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals to guide host Butler to a 112-80 nonconference victory over IU Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.
Gonzaga transfer Michael Ajayi recorded 11 points and 14 rebounds for his second double-double in as many games for Butler (2-0) as the Bulldogs turned their 59-32 advantage on the boards into 30 second-chance points.
Finley Bizjack and Azavier “Stink” Robinson scored 13 points apiece, while Yohan Traore added 11 as Butler cracked the 100-point barrier in regulation for the first time since a 101-93 upset of top-ranked Villanova on Dec. 30, 2017.
Matt Compas paced IU Indy (0-3) with 25 points off the bench. Finley Woodward contributed 12 points and six assists while Kyler D’Augustino added 11 points.
The Jaguars jumped out to a 6-0 lead as it took Butler three minutes to get its first basket — a Drayton Jones dunk — against a squad that surrendered an average of 106 points in its first two games.
Both teams pressed full-court and pushed the tempo, but struggled to find the range. Twelve minutes into the game, IU Indy was shooting 7 of 21 from the field with eight turnovers, while Butler sat at 8 of 28 from the field (28.6%), 0-for-8 from the 3-point arc and 6 of 13 at the free-throw line.
The Bulldogs’ struggles at the line kept them from blowing the game open in the first half, but they gradually gained control. They scored 31 points in the final eight minutes — hitting 10 of 14 shots from the floor as they repeatedly attacked the hoop — to take a 51-38 lead into the break. Eleven Bulldogs scored as Butler coach Thad Matta subbed liberally to counter IU Indy’s hockey-like line shifts.
IU Indy got as close as 56-47 on Woodward’s 3-point play with 18:11 to go, but Butler kept finding little resistance in the paint. Traore threw down two dunks in a 27-second span — and his second two-handed slam came with so much force that Hinkle Fieldhouse officials had to bring out a stepladder to fix the shot clock atop the backboard.
Troare’s subsequent free throw after the second dunk pushed the Bulldogs’ lead to 76-55 with 12:50 to play. The Bulldogs reached the 100-point mark on Traore’s free throw with 4:40 remaining.
–Field Level Media
