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The Butler Bulldogs improve to 2-0 on the young season with another blowout victory.
The 'Dawgs, after a tussle in the opening minutes, didn't look back against the Missouri State Bears after taking an 11-8 lead off of a Tyler Lewis 3-pointer at the 14:07 mark. They would go the distance with their lead, ending with a final score of 93-59.
The Bulldogs offense was again dynamic on Thursday afternoon in Puerto Rico, netting a points per possession rate of 1.31. The Bulldogs were also effective from nearly every area on the floor, finishing with a field goal percentage of 60.0 percent. Andrew Chrabascz and Kelan Martin led all scorers with 18 points.
Here's what we learned from this matchup.
1. The Bulldogs offense remains effective and efficient
Butler finished seven points shy of the century mark on Thursday afternoon against the Missouri State Bears. That does not disqualify their offense from getting their praises sung. They shot effectively from all areas of the floor, amassing a field goal percentage of 60 percent and a 3-point percentage of 47.1 percent. Mind you, they shot 30.8 percent from the 3-point line in their 144-point performance against The Citadel at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Their eFG% on the afternoon was a staggering 67.2 percent, just a shade under their 68.2 percent mark that they had in their opener. The Butler offense is absolutely dangerous out of the gates and much of the Big East ought to be put on notice.
2. Tyler Lewis is a magician with the rock
One big takeaway from this game was that NC State transfer Tyler Lewis is a very gifted passer. Dishes like this are starting to become the norm for him and if that is indeed the case, Lewis will put himself among the best point guards in the BIG EAST Conference. It's an already loaded field with Kris Dunn leading the way and others including the likes of Mo Watson Jr., Billy Garrett Jr., and Jalen Brunson among others. But thus far, it's very hard to argue that Lewis is already beginning to make a name for himself.
3. Sharing is caring for Butler
Tyler Lewis led the afternoon with 10 assists, but in total, Butler was very unselfish against Missouri State. The 'Dawgs compiled 23 assists against the Bears with nine players totaling at least one assist on Thursday afternoon. When you consider the fact that the Bulldogs had 33 field goal makes on the afternoon, it puts the pieces together on a very well-rounded performance that almost every fan should be pleased with.