Butler does it — again

The Bulldogs improved to 18-2 all-time against YSU with a 68-57 victory at Beeghly Center.

Butler 68 - YSU 57

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Butler defeats YSU Mens Basketball team 68-57 on Thursday evening at Beeghley Center.

By JOE SCALZO

Vindicator sports staff

YOUNGSTOWN — For the first 30 minutes of Thursday’s game, it was hard to tell whether Youngstown State or Butler was the No. 15 team in the country.

For the last 10 minutes, there wasn’t any doubt.

Butler senior Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and the nationally-ranked Bulldogs used a 15-2 run to put the game away en route to a 68-57 win over the Penguins in a Horizon League game at Beeghly Center.

YSU trailed by four, 53-49, with just under six minutes left when the Bulldogs made their run.

“We didn’t make shots and they made shots,” said junior Vytas Sulskis, “and they came out victorious.”

Still, it was an encouraging performance for YSU, which was trounced in its first meeting with the Bulldogs. In that Jan. 16 meeting, the Penguins fell behind 49-26 at halftime and ended up losing by 30.

“It was definitely motivating,” said Sulskis of that loss. “We came out with a chip on our shoulders and we wanted to beat them.”

Butler took a quick 16-5 lead to start Thursday’s game, but the Penguins responded with a 23-4 run fueled by 12 points from senior guard DeAndre Mays.

Mays finished with 18 points and three rebounds and was extremely active on defense, using his long arms and quickness to keep Butler from getting comfortable on the perimeter.

“He’s really good,” said Butler coach Brad Stevens of Mays. “He can do a lot of things.

“I think [YSU] did a great job tonight. They were playing with great presence on both sides of the ball.”

The Bulldogs withstood YSU’s run and chipped away at the deficit before a three-point play by Hayward gave them a 31-30 lead in the closing seconds of the first half.

YSU entered the break trailing by that score, but considering the team’s first meeting, it was hard to be disappointed.

“Other than the 23-4 run in the middle of the first half, we played well and we knew we had to play well,” said Stevens. “The thing is, when they hit great shots like they did in the first half, our guys do a good job of staying even-keel and not panicking.”

That poise comes from knowing they’re going to get every Horizon League team’s best shot.

“Part of it’s hard because you know you’re always going to get that but part of it makes you heighten your preparation and focus and I think that’s a good thing for college-age kids,” said Stevens.

Butler (22-4, 15-0) clinched the league title outright with the victory — the Bulldogs entered the night with a five-game lead on Cleveland State — and has won 14 straight games, the second-longest streak in school history.

It’s also the second-best current streak in the country behind Siena’s 15 straight.

Those teams meet on Feb. 20.

Matt Howard had 11 points and Willie Veasley added 10 for the Bulldogs, who are 18-2 all-time against YSU, winning of 18 of the last 19 meetings.

Sulskis scored 14 points and Vance Cooksey had 11 for the Penguins, who are 1-23 against nationally-ranked opponents. The lone victory came in 1952.

“I thought our kids played hard,” said YSU coach Jerry Slocum. “I thought we did a good job defending Howard. I thought the turning point was when he got his fourth foul [with 10 minutes left] and they went small.

“That was a tough matchup for us.”

The Penguins have lost eight straight Horizon League games since beating UIC and Loyola back-to-back in early January. Their lone win in the last month came against North Carolina Central.

The Penguins play host to Valparaiso on Saturday night, then play three more league games before the league tournament begins March 2.

“We know we can beat anyone in the Horizon League,” said Sulskis. “We’re going to build up on it [Thursday’s performance] and bring it on Saturday.”

scalzo@vindy.com