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Xavier Musketeers fall to Butler Bulldogs, 80–75, at Hinkle Fieldhouse
By
Musketeer Madness,
2/21/2026
Xavier trimmed a 19-point first-half deficit to as little as five in the closing minutes, but Butler’s early surge and steady free-throw shooting proved too much in an 80–75 setback Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Musketeers (13-14, 5-11) were buried early as Butler shot a blistering 53.6 percent in the first half and built a 47–28 lead at the break. The Bulldogs led for 39:17 of game time and stretched the margin to as many as 21 midway through the opening period.
Xavier responded with a far sharper second half, shooting 50 percent from the floor and knocking down 7-of-15 from three after intermission. The Musketeers outscored Butler 47–33 over the final 20 minutes, but the hole was too deep to fully escape.
Tre Carroll paced Xavier with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting and added seven rebounds. Malik Messina-Moore contributed 20 points, including four three-pointers, while All Wright added eight points and a team-high four assists. Jovan Milicevic chipped in 10 points and five fouls in a physical interior battle.
Inside, Butler held a decisive 44–30 edge in points in the paint and outrebounded Xavier 35–32. The Bulldogs also capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 25-of-33 attempts (75.8 percent), compared with Xavier’s 9-of-11 effort.
Michael Ajayi led Butler with 24 points and nine rebounds, going 11-of-21 from the field. Yohan Traore added 21 points and hit 11-of-13 at the line, while Finley Bizjack poured in 18 points, including 9-of-10 from the stripe.
Despite committing just seven turnovers and matching Butler with seven fast-break points, Xavier could not overcome the Bulldogs’ efficiency and physical play. Butler shot 47.3 percent overall and held a +5 margin in the plus/minus column collectively.
Xavier now looks to build on its second-half momentum as it heads into the final stretch of conference play, hoping the offensive rhythm it found late in Indianapolis carries forward.
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