The Bulldogs men’s basketball team did not end the regular season as they had wanted. The Dawgs played their final game of the season on the road against Providence on Saturday and the result was certainly not what they were looking for. The Friars controlled the game from the beginning and never lost the lead on route to a 83-70 victory over Butler.
Butler fell behind early in the game, and at one point was looking at a 33-13 deficit in the first half. Providence’s hot shooting was the difference. As a team they shot 11/19 from behind the arc, and shot 50.9% from the field.
The Bulldogs were led by Paul Jorgensen with points. Kamar Baldwin added 15 and Joey Brunk with 13. Despite having three players in double figures, the Bulldogs could not stop Providence guard A.J. Reeves from scoring the rock. Reeves finished with 24 points on 9/13 shooting including six threes. His teammate Isaiah Jackson added 20 points off the bench.
With this loss, the Bulldogs finish the season with an overall 16-15 record and a ninth place finish in the Big East. What’s next for the Dawgs? The third matchup of the year with the Friars in the first round of the Big East tournament. The game is set to tip off at 7 pm EST on Wednesday, March 13th. The winner will advance to play the Big East regular season champion and top seeded Villanova.
The only chance the Bulldogs really have at making the Big Dance is to win the Big East tournament. It is easier said than done, but it’s March and any college basketball fan knows that the Butler Bulldogs are always ready to make some noise.