Butler Bulldogs at South Carolina Gamecocks
· Greenbrier Tip-Off - Mountain Division
Michael Ajayi and Finley Bizjack lead Butler to 79-72 win over South Carolina
Jamie Kaiser Jr. added 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting and Jalen Jackson scored 10 points for Butler (4-1)
The Bulldogs never trailed and used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to take a 12-point lead with 7:17 left until halftime. Yame Butler stole a pass from Meechie Johnson, was fouled and hit two free throws before Ajayi blocked a shot that led to a fast-break layup by Kaiser to cap the spurt.
Johnson led South Carolina (4-1) with 24 points and Mike Sharavjamts and Eli Ellis added 13 points apiece.
Kobe Knox and Ellis sandwiched 3s around a layup by Sharavjamts to trim South Carolina's deficit to 56-52 midway through the second half. Drayton Jones answered with a dunk before Bizjack hit a 3-pointer that made it a nine-point lead and it was at least a two-possession game the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs shot 61% (14 of 23) in the second half and made 27 of 56 (48%) overall while they outscored South Carolina 42-32 in points in the paint. Butler outrebounded the Gamecocks 47-26, which included a 15-9 advantage on the offensive glass, and outscored them 23-10 in second-chance points.
It was the first-ever matchup between the programs.
How can I watch Butler vs. South Carolina?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 79 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 79 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:00 | Michael Ajayi Defensive Rebound. | 79 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:03 | Meechie Johnson missed Layup. | 79 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:10 | Jamie Kaiser Jr. made Free Throw. | 79 - 72 |
Statistics
 BUT |
 SC |
|
|---|---|---|
| 27-56 | FG | 25-62 |
| 48 | Field Goal % | 40 |
| 5-12 | 3PT | 7-26 |
| 42 | Three Point % | 27 |
| 20-34 | FT | 15-22 |
| 59 | Free Throw % | 68 |
| 48 | Rebounds | 29 |
| 15 | Offensive Rebounds | 9 |
| 33 | Defensive Rebounds | 20 |
| 9 | Assists | 10 |
| 6 | Steals | 8 |
| 2 | Blocks | 1 |
| 10 | Turnovers | 7 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 10 | Total Turnovers | 7 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 9 | Points Off Turnovers | 12 |
| 14 | Fast Break Points | 11 |
| 42 | Points in Paint | 32 |
| 17 | Fouls | 25 |
| 15 | Largest Lead | 0 |
Game Information
Location: White Sulphur Springs, WV
Attendance: 1,209 | Capacity:
2025-26 Big East Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's | 18-2 | - | 26-6 |
| UConn | 17-3 | 1 | 28-4 |
| Villanova | 15-5 | 3 | 24-8 |
| Seton Hall | 10-10 | 8 | 21-11 |
| Creighton | 9-11 | 9 | 15-17 |
| DePaul | 8-12 | 10 | 16-16 |
| Butler | 7-13 | 11 | 16-16 |
| Providence | 7-13 | 11 | 15-18 |
| Marquette | 7-13 | 11 | 12-20 |
| Georgetown | 6-14 | 12 | 16-17 |
| Xavier | 6-14 | 12 | 15-18 |
2025-26 Southeastern Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 16-2 | - | 26-6 |
| Alabama | 13-5 | 3 | 23-8 |
| Arkansas | 13-5 | 3 | 23-8 |
| Vanderbilt | 11-7 | 5 | 25-7 |
| Tennessee | 11-7 | 5 | 22-11 |
| Texas A&M | 11-7 | 5 | 21-11 |
| Georgia | 10-8 | 6 | 22-10 |
| Missouri | 10-8 | 6 | 20-12 |
| Kentucky | 10-8 | 6 | 21-13 |
| Texas | 9-9 | 7 | 18-14 |
| Oklahoma | 7-11 | 9 | 19-14 |
| Auburn | 7-11 | 9 | 17-16 |
| Mississippi State | 5-13 | 11 | 13-19 |
| Ole Miss | 4-14 | 12 | 14-19 |
| South Carolina | 4-14 | 12 | 13-19 |
| LSU | 3-15 | 13 | 15-17 |