Bulldogs-Spartans: Timely Defense, Clutch Free Throws Send Butler To Title Game

Before the tip-off against the Michigan State Spartans, Butler Bulldogs star forward Gordon Hayward stood at mid-court looking around and smiling, basking in the reality at hand: they were in the Final Four with the chance to play for the championship.

The mid-major that breezed through the Horizon League and strutted their stuff behind a fundamentally sound offense and stifling defense were in it and “confident and ready to go,” according to Hayward.

They didn’t seem the least surprised to be here, nonchalantly addressing the magnitude and downplaying what was at stake. Butler was just ready to play their game, and, as it turned out, they succeeded in doing so.

In the first half, the Bulldogs were led solely by Hayward and guard Shelvin Mack. The duo scored 25 of their 28 points and no other player hit a field goal.

Butler’s defense was stifling, which primarily helped them notch a tie at intermission, but they would need more than two scorers and good defense to keep the dream alive and reach the championship game.

Mack went down with muscle spasms early in the second half, meaning the Bulldogs would no longer have the chance to rely on the twosome. They held Michigan State without a point for four minutes early while Ron Nored hit two free throws and Horizon League player of the year Matt Howard hit a layup to finally get on the scoreboard. The lead was five.

The margin expanded to seven on a steal and breakaway dunk by senior Willy Veasley. That basket came with 12 minutes and 18 seconds left. The Bulldogs wouldn’t hit another for more than 10 minutes.

The shots weren’t falling. “We couldn’t throw it in the ocean,” Hayward said. “We were staying on the beach.” This drought would spell doom for their chances, right? Not in the least. Their defense compensated greatly for their ice-cold offense. Because they weren’t scoring, they decided that Michigan State wouldn’t do much offensively either.

After making two field goals quickly following Veasley’s, the Spartans went five minutes without a point. Michigan State had some good looks at the basket, but Butler hounded them wherever they went, making passes, catches, and shots extremely difficult. It was ugly, but it was the kind of ugly that benefited the Bulldogs. During the Spartans drought, three turnovers were committed and three layups were missed. Butler couldn’t capitalize, but it didn’t matter.

A free throw by Hayward at the six-minute mark ended a three-minute scoring drought. Somehow this lengthened their advantage to six, 47-41, as the Spartans failed to score over that same span. It appeared whoever could make a few baskets would come out victorious, but the offense remained anemic.

A layup by Michigan State senior forward Raymar Morgan cut the deficit to four, 47-43. The Bulldogs proceeded to miss, miss, and miss some more, playing as if they hoped they could keep the Spartans from scoring more than three points the rest of the way.

Butler had 19 points off turnovers with two and a half minutes to go, and turnovers continued to kill Michigan State. Nored picked Durrell Summers' pocket and translated the theft into the 20th point off miscues with Shawn Vanzant making a free throw after being fouled in transition. It was just one point, but in this offensive struggle and defensive battle, it was all important.

Vanzant wasn’t done making an impact. Hayward notched Butler’s 11th straight miss by clanging a baseline three up two, 48-46. Vanzant, all six feet of him, swooped in out of nowhere through three Spartans, snatched the rebound and, while falling out of bounds, fed a cutting Hayward, who proceeded to glide for a layup. The field goal was their first since Veasley’s. And it was all made possible by Vanzant’s hustle.

For once, Butler did something wrong defensively. Summers missed the second of two free-throws upon being fouled by Nored, and Hayward forgot to box out, leading to an offensive rebound by Delvon Roe, a foul on Hayward, and two more free throws by Draymond Green.

Within one and with the ball after Nored’s jumper at the end of the shot-clock rimmed out, the Spartans had the opportunity to take the lead and possibly steal a win, but a mid-range two by Green was shanked and Nored made amends by corralling the board.

Nored was fouled immediately, which was a good thing statistically for Michigan State. The sophomore was a 61 percent free throw shooter during the regular season and had missed nine of 12 attempts so far in the tournament. Awful, and he knew he had been that porous. But what transpired is what makes Butler such a unbelievable team and makes what is now April Madness amazing. Composed, Nored made both free throws, hitting nothing but net to lengthen the margin to three.

What transpired makes 33-year-old Brad Stevens one of the more intelligent coaches. Most teams don’t take the chance, but up three he decided to foul, putting the Spartans Korey Lucious at the line with 2.2 seconds remaining. This forced Lucious to make the first and intentionally miss the second. He did what was asked, but this time Hayward boxed out, grabbing the rebound. He thrust his arm in the air and pointed a finger to the sky, as did the rest of his teammates jubilantly. Butler had won.

After the game, Nored was asked by a New York Post reporter if he knew he was 3-12 from the free-throw line. “Yes, I was,” he said with an annoyed smile. “Thanks for reminding me.” Now, I’m sure being 5-12 from the stripe is something he would love to be reminded about. After all, his unpredicted deliverance in the clutch did put Butler in their first championship in school history.