Butler pulls away in second half to defeat DePaul

Field Level Media|published: Sat 25th January, 18:32 2025

Jan 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; DePaul Blue Demons forward NJ Benson (35) rebounds the ball against Butler Bulldogs center Andre Screen (23) during the first half at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Pierre Brooks set career highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds as Butler used a pair of second-half runs to earn an 86-69 victory over visiting DePaul in Big East play Saturday at Indianapolis.

Jahmyl Telfort had 18 points, Finley Bizjack posted his second straight 17-point contest and Andre Screen scored 15 for the Bulldogs (9-11, 2-7 Big East), who shot 58.6 percent in the second half to win for the second time in three games after losing nine straight.

The Bulldogs were 10 of 24 (41.7 percent) from 3-point range.

NJ Benson scored 16 of his 20 in the second half and had nine rebounds, while Indianapolis native CJ Gunn added 16 for DePaul (10-11, 1-9), which shot 50.8 percent, but only 5 of 21 (23.8 percent) from 3-point range, in losing its 10th straight to Butler.

The contest marked Blue Demons coach Chris Holtmann's return to Hinkle Fieldhouse since guiding Butler for three seasons from 2014-17.

DePaul scored the first five points of the second half to cut a seven-point deficit to 40-38. A Layden Blocker dunk left the Blue Demons down 49-46 with 15:39 remaining.

Bizjack knocked down a corner 3-pointer right out of a timeout, then hit another 3 from nearly the same spot to ignite a 10-0 run, amid a 13-2 surge, to put the Bulldogs up 62-48 with 12:17 to play. DePaul, though, scored 14 of the game's next 18 to get within 66-62 with 7:13 remaining.

A Screen layup and a Brooks 3-pointer bumped Butler's lead to 71-62 less than a minute later and started a 14-1 surge.

Butler led 40-33 following a first half that featured 11 lead changes. A 5-0 run gave DePaul a 20-15 lead, but Butler scored the next nine points, highlighted by five points from Brooks.

The Blue Demons eventually tied it 28-28 before the Bulldogs answered with the next five points. The mini run included a Bizjack 3-pointer for Butler, which scored 12 of the final 17 points of the half.

Gunn, who scored 12 points through the first 20 minutes, had the final five first-half points for the Blue Demons, who went to the free-throw line just twice before the break. Butler was 10 of 11 from the line in the first half.

--Field Level Media