NCAAB Game Recap - ULM at Butler
Sat Dec 28, 2019 4:00 PM EST

Lou
70
KY
78
F(OT)
Brown
50
Duke
75
F
NOrl
55
Mem
97
F
ULM
36
Butl
67
F
CAPoly
57
SDSU
73
F
N AL
71
FSU
88
F
(N/A)
46
MorSt
102
F
YSU
83
IUPUI
73
F
Piedm
47
WCU
108
F
CenMI
62
Purd
97
F
Amer
60
GTown
80
F
LongB
63
Fla
102
F
(N/A)
53
Mercer
104
F
WIMil
64
NoKY
74
F
StPet
67
Hamp
70
F
Wisc
68
Tenn
48
F
Buck
59
LaSal
71
F
CenAR
54
Marq
106
F
Toled
66
Brad
78
F
(N/A)
49
UAB
82
F
WIGB
84
WriSt
90
F
NE
61
Tows
45
F
Charl
76
Drex
65
F
Maris
54
Colum
69
F
E MI
49
UNLV
64
F
TXSo
81
AzSt
98
F
PaulQ
62
SFA
94
F
Detr
69
Oakl
78
F
E OR
61
UtSt
129
F
(N/A)
64
UTSA
99
F
Fairf
66
Merrim
54
F
Longw
65
GrgWas
78
F
E WA
79
Web
77
F
(N/A)
62
ColSt
87
F
Mobil
47
USA
76
F
FIU
62
Minn
89
F
Hof
82
JMU
76
F
E KY
74
ECU
82
F
Clev
66
IL-C
71
F
(N/A)
84
LIU
125
F
(N/A)
73
ArkSt
84
F
CS-Ful
77
UCLA
74
F
(N/A)
65
UtVal
80
F
CarBi
56
JSU
120
F
(N/A)
34
UNCG
106
F
N CO
65
PorSt
69
F
(N/A)
52
ChaSo
108
F
(N/A)
54
Crei
91
F
(N/A)
68
Wyo
82
F
Sac
51
MTSt
66
F
CSNor
72
Bois
103
F
TxWes
64
N TX
102
F
Niag
57
Syr
71
F
UNCW
68
Del
82
F
Belm
79
W Ky
62
F
Seatt
58
StMar
84
F
CmbTN
46
Murr
81
F
Pepp
68
SJSU
83
F
UCRiv
60
Fres
57
F
NoAZ
72
Mont
79
F
Ida
60
IdaSt
62
F
ORU
73
BYU
79
F
Morg
74
LoyMa
71
F
(N/A)
75
CBU
92
F
Pacif
56
UCIrv
69
F

Butler 67, ULM 36

Dec 28, 2019, 4:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

ULM

14

22

36

(12) Butler

33

34

67

Smits scores 16 to lead No. 12 Bulldogs over Warhawks 67-36
Sat Dec 28, 2019 7:44 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Derrik Smits is showing his age.

Smits, who is using his final season of NCAA eligibility as a graduate transfer, scored a season-high 16 points off the bench to lead 12th-ranked Butler to a 67-36 victory over the Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

He was 5-of-7 from the field and 6-of-7 on free throws in just his third game since joining the Bulldogs in the offseason after four years at Valparaiso University.

"This game helps me. It's very helpful for my mentality obviously," Smits said. "It builds confidence. I figured, eventually, if they start falling I'd start playing a little more. It's good when they start coming at me."

Bryce Nze had 10 points and seven rebounds and Sean McDermott scored 10 points for the Bulldogs (12-1), closing out the non-conference schedule winning three in a row.

Josh Nicholas had 12 points while Michael Ertel, JD Wiliams and Elijah Ifejeh each scored five points for the Warhawks (4-7), who have lost five straight games.

Butler started the second half on a 13-2 run to build the lead to 28 points.

Nze scored back-to-back baskets and Bryce Golden scored twice. Smits' layup with 13:02 remaining to make it 46-18.

"I thought Butler was everything that I saw on film," Louisiana-Monroe coach Keith Richard said. "Everything that was advertised. Really a physical team on both ends of the floor, at all positions. The thing got away from us in the first half because of physical play. We chose not to double down on the post and see if our bigger guys that we have could play one-on-one in there. Of course we struggled scoring on the offensive end and it got away from us."

The Warhawks shot 17.9 percent (5-of-28) from the field in the first half and finished with a season-low 23.3 percent (14-of-60) shooting overall.

The Bulldogs closed out the first half with an 11-1 run to take a 19-point halftime lead. McDermott scored a 3-pointer with 2:37 remaining in the half to make it 33-14.

"Tomorrow we'll have an opportunity to clean up some stuff from this game and then we'll get ready to head into Big East play, and get ready for a really good St. John's team," Butler coach LeVall Jordan said. "I know they'll be ready. We talk about the first season, the non-conference season and finish it the way we want to finish it. We headed into the conference season now so everything that we did doesn't matter anyway."

COMING HOME

Louisiana-Monroe and Butler played for one player - Ertel, an Indianapolis-native who attended nearby Mt. Vernon High School.

"The reason why we played this game was to bring Mike Ertle back to Indianapolis and play in front of family and friends and we accomplished that," Richard said. "Mike's been a good player for us. I'm really glad we got to do that for him."

BIG PICTURE

Louisiana-Monroe: Even in the Warhawks' losses the team had been scoring 45 or more points. The 36 points against Butler were the fewest points scored this season. It's also the fewest points the Bulldogs have allowed this season.

Butler: The Bulldogs extended their winning streak of non-conference home games to 58 - the longest streak in the nation.

UP NEXT:

Louisiana-Monroe will host Troy on Thursday.

Butler will open Big East play at St. John's on Tuesday.

---

For more AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball andhttps://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

ULM PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Nicholas 12 0 0 3 0 0
M. Ertel 5 0 1 4 1 0
Butler PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. Smits 16 0 0 1 1 0
B. Nze 10 0 1 7 0 1

Team Comparison

ULM Butl
Points For 36 67
Field Goals 14/60-23% 27/59-46%
Three Pointers 3/16-19% 7/25-28%
Free Throws 5/14-36% 6/8-75%
Offensive Rebounds 8 6
Defensive Rebounds 26 37
Rebounds 35 49
Blocks 3 3
Steals 4 5
Turnovers 11 10
Personal Fouls 8 15
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Butl Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Dec 28 ULM 36 @ Butl 67 J. Nicholas 12 D. Smits 16

Game Information

Stadium: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 8,040
Game Time: