Roosevelt Jones, Butler topple Gonzaga at buzzer
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS – Roosevelt Jones never had that one extraordinary moment.
Until he slipped on a Butler uniform. Until Saturday night, in the first-ever matchup of top-15 teams at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, on an occasion in which the basketball-crazed campus hosted ESPN’s College GameDay.
Add yet another memory to Butler’s thrilling collection.
Check out ESPN’s video below:
Jones’ game-winner at the buzzer sent hundreds of fans onto the court in raucous celebration of No. 13 Butler’s come-from-behind 64-63 victory over No. 8 Gonzaga. Jones scored 20 points, including 16 in the second half, to extend Butler’s winning streak to 13 as the Bulldogs seized their third victory of the season over a top-10 opponent.
I’ve got a friend in coaching that tells me for every one of those that goes in, you’ve got one coming, Butler coach Brad Stevens said. Unbelievable presence of mind by Roosevelt to get it up before time ran out. I haven’t heard the place like this since Avery Sheets hit a shot in 2003 to beat Milwaukee.
Butler (16-2) is no stranger to tense, dramatic finishes. Jones’ short running jumper capped a breathtaking final 90 seconds in which the lead changed hands six times.
Jones’ decisive blow was the most unexpected.
With 3 seconds left, David Stockton inbounded with Gonzaga up one. In the noisy gym, Jones somehow heard the shouted instructions of coach Mark Few, adjusted his position accordingly and intercepted Stockton’s pass in the backcourt. Jones raced up the floor, dribbling to his right against Kelly Olynyk, and pushed a right-handed floater into the basket as the horn sounded.
Jones was immediately mobbed by teammates and fans at midcourt. The sophomore forward said it’s the first game-winning shot he’s ever made.
I made a basketball play, Jones said. I heard the coach tell Olynyk to get the lob. I played behind him. I stole it.
Gonzaga (17-2) saw its eight-game winning streak snapped after leading 33-32 at halftime. Elias Harris and Sam Dower each scored 20 points. Olynyk, the star 7-footer, battled foul trouble and had 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting.
That helped Stevens to his first win in three tries at home against top-10 competition. And he didn’t even need leading scorer Rotnei Clarke, out with a severely sprained neck.
We’re probably going to have some times that are down,” he said. We’re going to have some really good times like tonight. We stay the course. There’s a genuine belief and a genuine effort to try to do their very best. Teams that can do that for five months are special.
Butler’s program is certainly that.
After playing in back-to-back national championship games in 2010 and 2011, the small, private school on Indy’s north side is bouncing back in a major way after missing the NCAA tournament last season. Butler now owns wins over then-No. 1 Indiana, then-No. 9 North Carolina and Gonzaga, the program that first made upsets a way of life.
There’s no guy in the world I respect more than Brad, Few said. It was a great basketball game to be a part of. I was proud of my guys making play after play down the stretch.
Butler led 58-57 when Jones committed his seventh turnover by throwing a lob pass out of bounds. Harris then knifed his way down the lane to put Gonzaga back in front. Undaunted, Jones charged toward the rim and pulled up for a banker that made it 60-59 Butler with 1:10 left.
After Few talked over his plans in a timeout, Harris set a screen for Kevin Pangos, who hit Harris for a short jumper that again gave Gonzaga a 1-point lead.
Butler had its answer.
Alex Barlow, whose jumper beat Indiana in overtime, went in for a layup that sent the announced crowd of 10,228 into hysterics.
On the verge of defeat, with 4 seconds left, Gonzaga found Olynyk at the rim, where Barlow grabbed his arm. The two free throws inched the visitors ahead 63-62. When Barlow traveled on the ensuing inbounds, only mere formalities seemingly remained.
With Butler involved, any audience should know better.
This is by far one of the toughest teams I’ve ever played for, said Kellen Dunham, who started for Clarke and scored 14 points. We’re never going to quit until the buzzer.
Dunham, who led the way with nine points in the first half, landed on top of Jones in the postgame scrum.
It was a pretty good tackle, Jones said. He put it right on my butt.
Afterward, Jones said he was still feeling the effects of a strained back muscle he sustained in the second half. Trainers tended to Jones on the sideline, but in such a close game in a charged atmosphere, Jones never had any intention of sitting out.
I played through the pain, he said.
On cue, Jones dealt some to Gonzaga.
Officials looked at the shot on replay before confirming that it counted.
Butler shot 50 percent from the field and overcame 12 turnovers. Butler missed as many free throws (11) as Gonzaga made. Butler hit 8-of-19 attempts from beyond the arc.
This victory wasn’t math. It was magic.
That was a tough shot, Few said. He (Jones) jumps off the wrong foot. He attacks off the bounce in an unorthodox way. It’s amazing.
Also: ISL editor Cliff Brunt’s Sports XChange/Reuters story on the game: Butler 64, Gonzaga 63.
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