Grizzlies Win Big Over Sauk Valley to Kick Off Nitsche Era
OTTUMWA, Iowa – Butler men’s basketball opened the 2024-25 season with a 91-57 win over Sauk Valley at Indian Hills’ Hellyer Center on Friday afternoon as part of the Meridian Credit Union Classic.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sauk Valley
0-1
|
22 | 35 | 57 |
|
Butler
1-0
|
37 | 54 | 91 |
Team Stats
Sauk Valley
| Game Statistics | Sauk Valley | Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (18-52) | (34-84) |
| Field Goal % | 34.6% | 40.5% |
| Rebounds | 40 | 50 |
| Assists | 11 | 22 |
| Turnovers | 30 | 18 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 8 | 32 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 8 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 20 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 17 | 49 |
OTTUMWA, Iowa – Butler men's basketball opened the 2024-25 season with a 91-57 win over Sauk Valley at Indian Hills' Hellyer Center on Friday afternoon as part of the Meridian Credit Union Classic.
The win marked head coach Eric Nitsche's first career head coaching win.
Butler had three score in double figures with sophomore guard Bubba Leavell leading the way with 17 points, shooting 4-15 from distance. Freshmen guard Josiah Kirkwood added 15 points off the bench connecting on five triples. Freshman guard Seven Bahati also performed well off the bench with 11 points, three assists and three steals.
The Grizzlies shot 56 threes in the contest, finishing 26.8% (15-56). They outrebounded the Skyhawks 50-40 and forced 30 turnovers compared to just 18 of their own.
Butler led by 15 at halftime, 37-22. The Grizzlies largest lead in the game came at the 2:02 mark of the second half when they went up by 34, 91-57.
.@BucoMBB opens the season with a 34 point W��
— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) November 2, 2024
Head coach @Coachnitsche picks up his first head coaching win!
Stats: https://t.co/bUaCBdyWgj#RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/WhUJSY0r4X