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Despite blowing a 14 point lead in the second half, Butler escaped their trip to Washington D.C. with a 90-87 victory in overtime over the Georgetown Hoyas.
The Bulldogs asserted themselves early in the game, getting out to a quick lead behind the scoring of Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones. Butler's two stars finished the game with 29 and 18 points respectively.
Georgetown opened the second half with a bit more intensity, as they were able to take a two point lead themselves with just under 11 minutes to play. With their offense sputtering, Butler then turned up their defensive play to regain their lead. Tyler Wideman forced seven steals, while Kelan Martin recorded two steals and three blocks of his own.
On the day, Georgetown had 21 turnovers.
However, as we should come to expect, Georgetown was able to come back and tie the game in the final minute. Butler missed 3 free throws and turned the ball over once in the last sixty seconds, and allowed Isaac Copeland to tie the game with 4 seconds left after being fouled on a 3 point attempt.
In overtime, both Jones and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera both quickly fouled out on calls that could have gone either way. Smith-Rivera finished his senior day with 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists as the Hoyas' leader capped off his remarkable career at home with yet another strong performance.
Once DSR was off the court, the Hoya offense completely lost their flow, as they struggled to score from the field in the extra period. Martin scored six points for Butler in overtime, as he was able to seal a much-needed win for the visiting team.
With this victory, Butler is closing in on a spot in the NCAA Tournament, barring an epic meltdown in the final week of the season.