Game Recap: Brooks Scores 23 As Butler Runs Away From Merrimack
Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS — Pierre Brooks has struggled to put together a complete game so far this season, but he finally did so on Friday leading the Butler Bulldogs over Merrimack 78-39.
“We prepared all week (to move the ball),” Brooks said. “When you see the ball go in, it just keeps you going. It even helps you on the defensive end. I’ve tried to be better on that end of the floor.”
Brooks unloaded 23 points for the Bulldogs hitting nine of the fourteen shots he put in the air, four of those shot were from behind the three-point arc.
Though the score indicated sheer dominance by the Bulldogs, which it was, it was a bit of a grind for them to establish a big lead. The Warriors held tough for the game’s first ten minutes. But, a flurry of shots from Andre Screen got the Dawgs some separation they needed with 11:27 left to play in the first half.
Patrick McCaffery helped in that regard as well hitting a three-pointer. The game marked the first meaningful minutes for greenhorn recruit Evan Haywood, who was fouled on a three-point shot and made each of his subsequent free throws.
Haywood finished the night with 10 points.
With Brooks locked in in the second half, the Bulldogs methodically pulled away from Merrimack and hardly let them score either. They cruised to a 78-39 victory.
Along with Brooks’ 23 points, McCaffery added 11 points, as did Jahmyl Telfort. Andre Screen played another solid game scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
“We are resilient,” Brooks said. “We can respond to a lot of things. We play like a veteran team. With me, (Telfort), and the other guys that have come in, we play collective as a whole and we think that will carry over to Arizona.”
Arizona is where they are headed for the Arizona Tip-Off where they will start things off against Northwestern. The Wildcats are 5-1 out of the Big Ten. Butler boasts a 4-1 record now having won three straight since their loss to Austin Peay.
Game Recap: Brooks Scores 23 As Butler Runs Away From Merrimack was originally published on ronewibc.staging.go.ione.nyc
