Finley Bizjack scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting along with six assists to lead Butler to a 98-66 nonconference win over Chicago State in Indianapolis.
Butler (3-0) also got 16 points from Jamie Kaiser and 12 points from Evan Haywood on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. Azavier Robinson added 11 and Michael Ajayi scored 10 with 11 rebounds.
This was Ajayi’s third consecutive double-double to start the season. The Gonzaga transfer is playing for his third team after starting his collegiate career with a standout season at Pepperdine in 2023-24.
Marcus Tankersley led all scorers with 24 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the floor for Chicago State (0-3). CJ Ray was the only other Cougar in double figures with 12.
The Bulldogs took control from the jump. The Bulldogs made five of their first six shots from beyond the arc to seize a 16-3 lead at the 16:48 mark.
The Bulldogs went into halftime up 57-30 by shooting 13-for-20 on 3-point attempts and earning assists on 14 of their 16 baskets. Bizjack and Kaiser combined for 31 in the half to lead Butler.
Butler lost starting point guard Jalen Jackson to an ankle injury after he was hit in the first half. He did not return in the second half and finished with four assists in nine minutes.
Butler’s offense, though, did not slow down. The Bulldogs knocked down five of their first seven shots of the second half to take a 30-point edge.
The Bulldogs’ bench delivered 45 points as the team as a whole 24 assists on 30 baskets. Butler’s 17 3-pointers tied the program’s third-most in a game.
–Field Level Media
