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Xavier Overpowers Butler in 91-78 Victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse
By
Musketeer Madness,
3/6/2025
Xavier continued its strong late-season push with a convincing 91-78 win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. The Musketeers’ efficient offense and dominance in the paint proved too much for the Bulldogs, as Xavier improved to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in Big East play.
Xavier set the tone early, using a balanced scoring attack to take a 44-40 lead into halftime. Zach Freemantle was the catalyst, pouring in 24 points on 12-of-17 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. His presence in the paint helped the Musketeers outscore Butler 46-24 in that category.
Butler kept things competitive in the first half behind hot three-point shooting, hitting 8-of-13 from deep. Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Pierre Brooks and Finley Bizjack each added 15 and 19, respectively. However, Butler struggled to maintain that efficiency in the second half, shooting just 40.9% from the field.
Xavier’s defense tightened in the final 20 minutes, holding Butler to 4-of-15 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Musketeers’ offense became even more efficient, shooting 56.7% from the field and 85.7% from the free-throw line after halftime. Dayvion McKnight was a key factor, finishing with 13 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe.
Dailyn Swain delivered a well-rounded performance for Xavier, contributing 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. His energy on both ends of the floor helped the Musketeers pull away in the second half, as they stretched their lead to as many as 17 points with just over eight minutes remaining.
Butler had no answer for Xavier’s transition game, as the Musketeers outscored the Bulldogs 19-6 in fast-break points. The Bulldogs also struggled with turnovers, committing 12 giveaways that led to 22 Xavier points.
Playing before over 40 of his friends and family in his hometown of Indianapolis, Ryan Conwell provided an outside spark for Xavier, knocking down five three-pointers on his way to 21 points. His shooting helped stretch Butler’s defense, opening up opportunities inside for Freemantle and Swain to operate.
Despite Butler’s best efforts to chip away at the deficit, Xavier maintained control in the closing minutes. The Musketeers’ ball movement resulted in 15 assists on 34 made field goals, a testament to their offensive cohesion. The loss drops Butler to 13-17 overall and 6-13 in conference play.
With the victory, Xavier further solidifies its standing in the Big East, setting the stage for a strong finish as tournament time approaches. The Musketeers will look to build on this performance in their regular season finale on senior night on Saturday at Cintas as X plays host to Providence. Game time is set for 4:00 pm.
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