Butler suffered their biggest defeat since November 21, 2023 on Thursday. They lost 75-54 to the Charlotte Catholic Cougars. The matchup was a close 24-23 at the break, but unfortunately for the Bulldogs it sure didn't stay that way.
When it comes to explaining why Butler lost, don't look at Caleb Milligan. Despite the final result, he went 6 for 14 en route to 17 points and five assists. Milligan is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Reece Starnes, who posted seven points in addition to six rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Butler smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Charlotte Catholic only pulled down four offensive boards.
Charlotte Catholic's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chris Eagan, who went 8 of 9 on his way to 18 points and five boards. Eagan continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Ben Denning also deserves some recognition as he posted his first assist of the season.
This is the second loss in a row for Butler and nudges their season record down to 9-7. As for Charlotte Catholic, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 13-3.
Butler didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 56-44 win against Independence on the 17th. Charlotte Catholic has also already played their next game, a 79-54 victory against East Mecklenburg on the 14th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
