Field Level Media
Nov 13, 2023
DJ Davis scored 13 of his 15 points during the first half, where Butler used a 16-0 run to pull away en route to its 81-47 victory over visiting East Tennessee State on Monday night in Indianapolis.
Posh Alexander had 13 points while Landon Moore knocked down four 3-pointers and scored 12 for Butler (3-0).
The Bulldogs dominated a first half during which it went 7-of-15 from 3-point range, forced 13 of East Tennessee State's 19 turnovers and held a 26-3 advantage in points off those turnovers. Butler shot 44.9 percent for the game and held the Buccaneers (1-2) to 31 percent shooting and 18 made field goals to continue its early-season dominance.
Jalen Thomas had 10 points and a team-high-tying six rebounds for Butler.
Ebby Asamoah recorded nine points to lead ETSU, which went 4-of-24 from 3-point range. Butler held Buccaneers star Quimari Peterson to four points on 2-of-10 shooting after he shot 19-of-36 for 44 points in the first two games.
The Bulldogs, who shot 31.9 percent (15-of-47) from beyond the arc in winning their first two games against Eastern Michigan and Southeast Missouri State by a combined 74 points, made 11 3s on 31 attempts Monday. Davis was 3-of-5 from distance in the first half as the Bulldogs shot 17-for-34 from the floor before the break.
Braden Ilic's free throw got ETSU within 12-11 with 11:49 remaining in the first half. Then Butler completely took over in scoring those 16 consecutive points. Pierre Brooks II (10 points) opened that surge with five straight points, then Moore followed with back-to-back made 3s.
Davis scored 11 of the Bulldogs' final 17 points of the first half, highlighted by his trio of 3-pointers. Butler closed the opening half on a 12-2 run to lead 45-20 entering the break.
Alexander scored five early points in the second half, where the Bulldogs scored 11 of the first 15 to open up a 32-point lead. The lead only grew from there for Butler, which will receive its first true test of the season later this week against No. 18 Michigan State.
--Field Level Media