MBB Minute – Butler Stays Unbeaten on a 3-0 Tuesday
Butler maintained its undefeated status Tuesday with a 67-58 win at Mississippi. The 8-0 Bulldogs, ranked 24th in both major polls, did not trail in the game primarily because Kamar Baldwin poured in 31 points. St. John’s and Creighton also won to give the BIG EAST a 61-18 (.772) record.
Baldwin’s point total was one short of his career high. He shot 11-of-16 from the floor, 4-of-5 from 3-point range, 5-of-5 from the foul line and did not commit a turnover. The Bulldogs outshot the Rebels from the field 51.1 percent to 40 percent.
St. John’s jumped out to a 26-8 lead against Saint Peter’s and cruised home with a 79-69 victory. L.J. Figueroa scored a game-high 19 points and Mustapha Heron added 17 points. The Johnnies (7-2) have won three in a row.
Creighton (6-2) also built a sizable first-half lead in its game against Oral Roberts and won 72-60. Forward Christian Bishop scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Marcus Zegarowski, who leads the Bluejays with a 17.9 average, had 14 points and six assists. Ty-Shon Alexander contributed 14 points and eight rebounds.
Wednesday night is busy with five games. Competition in the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle starts with a pair of contests. Georgetown plays at Oklahoma State on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. Unbeaten DePaul (8-0) hosts Texas Tech at 8:30 p.m. on FS1. A win would give the Blue Demons a nine-game winning streak for the first time since 1993-94.
Villanova, ranked No. 23 in the AP poll, continues its Philadelphia Big 5 competition this week when it hosts Pennsylvania at 6:30 p.m. on FS1. Xavier also plays at home, hosting Green Bay at Cintas Center at 7 p.m. on FS2. Marquette meets Jacksonville at 9 p.m., also on FS2.