Butler holds off Missouri State for season-opening victory

Field Level Media|published: Mon 4th November, 21:52 2024

Butler Bulldogs head coach Thad Matta yells to players on the court Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, during the game at Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University in Indianapolis.

Butler survived a scare thanks to 29 points and a late 3-point shot by Jahmyl Telfort, defeating Missouri State 72-65 on Monday night in Indianapolis.

Telfort scored 13 of those points in the second half, including eight straight points for the Bulldogs (1-0). He made a 3-pointer for a 68-62 lead with 2:56 remaining, and sank two free throws for the game's final points with 12 seconds left.

Iowa transfer Patrick McCaffery was one of three Butler players scoring at least six points in the second half. He totaled 11 points on 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range and added three assists. Pierre Brooks, who led the Bulldogs in scoring last season (14.8 ppg), added 13 points and four rebounds.

Head coach Thad Matta's Bulldogs went up by as many as 12 points in the first half before the Bears (0-1) tied the game with 15 seconds to go, only to trail 39-36 at halftime.

In the second half, the Bears went nearly shot-for-shot against the Big East side, with neither squad going on more than a five-point run in the final 20 minutes.

Missouri State made it a game by capitalizing off turnovers, with the Bears outscoring the Bulldogs in points off turnovers 27-16.

The Bears took 20 more shots than the Bulldogs in the defeat but were less efficient than the home side, getting outshot 37.3 percent to 44.7 percent.

Both teams got into the bonus with 5:18 remaining in the second half, but Butler couldn't convert consistently from the line, which kept the game close. The Bulldogs did finish 21 of 28 from the free-throw line, to just 6 of 10 for the Bears.

Dez White led the scoring for the Missouri Valley side with 21 points, plus four rebounds. Zaxton King added 12 points, going 3-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Junior college transfer Michael Osei-Bonsu, despite standing 6-foot-4, played a center role. He used force to back into the paint and make plays both offensively and defensively, scoring eight points and adding six rebounds and five steals.

The victory for Butler keeps a 25-year streak going where the Bulldogs have won every season-opening home game. The last time the Bulldogs failed to start the season with a win at home was in 1998 against Missouri State.

--Field Level Media