Butler loses to Wisconsin in Indy Classic for third straight loss

INDIANPOLIS (WISH) — Butler was unable to snap their losing streak, losing to Wisconsin 83-74 in the Indy Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Bulldogs kept it close for most of the first half, but allowed a 10-0 run in the last 1:46 to go into halftime down 14 points. They were able to bring it back to a five point deficit in the second half, but could never close the gap entirely.

“I think the biggest thing tonight, when you play Wisconsin, you can’t have ‘oh crap’ moments and we had some ‘oh crap’ moments,” Butler head coach Thad Matta said.

Pierre Brooks was Butler’s leading scorer with 23 points. McCaffery

This loss came at the heels of Butler’s non-conference season. It was a hot and cold non-conference season for the Bulldogs, where they beat their first three high-major teams they faced, but also took losses to Austin Peay and North Dakota State.

In total, they went 7-4 against non-conference opponents..

“I mean, we’re up against it,” Matta said. “I don’t think anybody in this room when they looked at our schedule when it came out in September said, ‘Oh, that’s going to be an easy start to December.”

Butler fifth year senior forward Patrick McCaffery has played a lot of college basketball and has been on teams that have lost three games in a row multiple times before.

“Just because you lose three games in a row doesn’t mean you’re going to have a bad season,” McCaffery said. “You just got to show up the next day, go to practice, put in the work, and keep pushing forward.”

The slate doesn’t get any easier in conference action, as Butler opens Big East play with Marquette on the road on Wednesday and hosts the back-to-back defending national champions UConn on Saturday.