Butler Begins Three-Game Road Stretch At Loyola

Jan. 18, 2006

BAGS PACKED: Butler (9-6, 2-1 HL) will begin a stretch of three Horizon League road games in seven days when it visits Loyola (10-6, 2-4 HL) on Thursday, Jan. 19. The meeting with the Ramblers is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CDT) in the Joseph J. Gentile Center on Loyola's campus. Loyola, coming off a home win over UIC, is 7-1 in the Gentile Center this season, including wins over Purdue and Bradley. The Ramblers have posted an average winning margin of 16.1 points in their seven home victories! Butler has won three of four games since Christmas, including a 64-52 victory at home over Detroit last Saturday (Jan. 14). Following the game at Loyola, the Bulldogs will travel to Youngstown State for a Jan. 21 game, return to Indianapolis and then visit Cleveland State on Jan. 25.

*Butler and Loyola are the last two remaining charter members of the Horizon League.

SHARP SHOOTERS: Butler ranks first (.468) and Loyola stands second (.456) in the Horizon League in team field goal shooting. The Ramblers are first in the league in team free throw shooting (.748), while Butler ranks second (.721).

HOME PROTECTION: The Bulldogs used a 14-2 scoring run late in the first half to take control of the game against Detroit at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler trailed the Titans, 17-16, with just under seven minutes remaining in the initial period, but the Bulldogs turned that deficit into an 11-point advantage over the next four and a half minutes. Guard Avery Sheets and forward Brandon Polk each scored four points, while forwards Brandon Crone and Marcus Nellems each added a three-point field goal in the decisive run. Butler stretched the margin to 14 points in the first two minutes of the second half and the Titans never got closer than seven points for the rest of the game.

*The Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when leading at halftime.

HANDLE WITH CARE: The Bulldogs, who rank third in the NCAA Division I (behind Temple and West Virginia) in fewest turnovers per game, committed just seven turnovers in the victory over Detroit. It was the ninth time this season that Butler had 10 or fewer turnovers in a game. The Bulldogs had just two miscues in the first half, and one of those was a team turnover.

*Butler leads the Horizon League in turnover margin (+5.33).

LEAD MAN: Senior Brandon Polk bounced back from a 2-11 shooting performance (6 points) at UW-Milwaukee to lead all players in the Detroit game with 23 points. He hit seven of 14 shots from the field and added a career-best nine of 11 from the free throw line. Polk scored 13 points in the second half, including six straight at one stretch, to help fend off any comeback attempts by the Titans. The 6-6 Butler forward also matched his career-high with three blocked shots in the contest.

*Brandon Polk ranks fourth in the Horizon League in FG% (.537).

PERFECT SCORE: Senior Avery Sheets turned in the best shooting performance by a Butler player this season by hitting all five shots that he attempted against Detroit. The 6-0 Butler guard finished the game with 14 points, four assists and a career-best four steals. He hit three field goal attempts in the first half and then knocked down a pair of three-point field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes. Sheets boosted his career scoring total to 900 points. The last Butler player to be perfect from the field when taking at least five shots in a game was Duane Lightfoot, who hit nine of nine field goal attempts against Hawaii in 2002.

*Avery Sheets is shooting .714 in Horizon League games.

GOING DEEP: Butler connected on eight of 20 (.400) three-point field goal attempts in the victory over Detroit. The Bulldogs have hit at least eight three-pointers in nine of 15 games this season, including a season-high 15 three-point field goals in a victory over Elon. Seven of Butler's 10 active players have hit at least one three-point field goal this year.

*Butler leads the Horizon League in three-point field goals (8.60) and three-point field goal shooting (.391).

BEST DEFENSE: The Bulldogs have limited their first three Horizon League opponents to an average of 57.3 points per game. On the season, Butler has held eight of 15 foes to 60 points or less and five of 15 to 53 points or less. The Bulldogs are 7-1 when holding an opponent to 60 points or less, with the one setback coming to Indiana State, 59-58, on a desperation three-point field goal at the buzzer.

*Butler leads the Horizon League in team scoring defense (60.6).

BULLDOG BITS:

•Senior Brandon Polk ranks sixth in the Horizon League in scoring (15.9). The 6-6 forward is third in the league in blocked shots (.0.93).

•Senior Bruce Horan, who became Butler's all-time leader in three-point field goals in the Bulldogs' victory over Tulane, has hit 23 three-pointers in Butler's last six games to boost his record total to 246. Horan has hit at least one three-point field goal in 62 consecutive games.

•Bruce Horan has moved into fifth place on the Horizon League's all-time list for three-point field goals. He trails former UIC player Cedrick Banks in fourth place on the all-time list by 12 three-pointers.

•Bruce Horan is tied for first in the Horizon League and for 29th in the NCAA Division I in three-point field goals (3.00 pg). He's third in the league and 29th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.441).

•Sophomore A. J. Graves has been in Butler's starting lineup for 38 consecutive games. That's the longest streak of consecutive starts for any current Butler player. Senior Avery Sheets has started 71 of Butler's last 73 games.

•A. J. Graves ranks among the "Top 15" players in the Horizon League in scoring (11th, 13.4), assists (13th, 2.53), steals (5th, 1.47), three-point field goals (7th-T, 1.67), assist/turnover ratio (8th, 1.31), free throw shooting (5th, .784) and three-point field goal shooting (13th, .357).

•Senior Avery Sheets has moved into 10th place on Butler's all-time list for three-point field goals with 147 career three-pointers. He trails current assistant coach LaVall Jordan in ninth place by four three-point goals.

•Avery Sheets, who ranks sixth in the Horizon League in assists (3.00), boosted his career assist total to 260 with four assists against Detroit. He's tied with Wayne Burris, 1973-77, for 10th place on Butler's all-time assist chart.

•Avery Sheets leads the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.37).

•Sophomore Drew Streicher and freshman Ben Slaton were on the 4.00 Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll at Butler for the fall semester. Also named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll were junior Julian Betko and sophomore A. J. Graves.