Butler stays undefeated at home, beats Temple in Rotnei Clarke’s return
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS – Temple’s Anthony Lee left the court with a towel over his face. Rotnei Clarke walked off with a smile on his.
A standing ovation from the sellout Hinkle Fieldhouse crowd said it all.
Clarke dominated in his return from a severely sprained neck. The senior point guard scored a game-high 24 points and added a career-high nine assists to lead No. 9 Butler to an 83-71 victory over Temple Saturday night.
Clarke said he felt fine after playing 38 minutes in his first outing since falling head-first into a basket support Jan. 12 at Dayton. Clarke sat out three games, the first ones he’s missed due to injury in his college career.
I was really proud of how our guys played over those 150 minutes, said Butler coach Brad Stevens, alluding to Butler’s 2-1 record without its leading scorer and 79-73 win against the Flyers on the afternoon of Clarke’s frightening tumble.
I just wanted to be out there, Clarke said. I wasn’t worried. Coming away with a win was even better.
Butler (17-3, 4-1 Atlantic 10) recovered from a loss to La Salle that snapped a 13-game winning streak. The Bulldogs scored 80 points for the fifth time this season and first since Dec. 15 against Indiana.
Clarke fueled much of the offense, feeding big men for lobs and attacking the basket off the dribble. Khyle Marshall scored 19 points after posting just 15 combined in the three games Clarke was sidelined. Clarke assisted on five of Marshall’s nine field goals Saturday.
With his (Clarke’s) ability to shoot and create, the attention he gets makes everything easier for us as a team, Marshall said.
Kellen Dunham had 17 points for Butler. Roosevelt Jones contributed nine and Andrew Smith seven.
Guys made shots, Clarke said. They were sagging off. I was able to get in the paint and dump it off.
Khalif Wyatt, who entered the day second in the A-10 in scoring, finished with 22 points, six assists and four steals to lead Temple. Wyatt only scored six points after halftime. Temple shot 40.7 percent from the field and was outrebounded 35-25.
The Owls (13-6, 2-3) lost for the fourth time in seven games. Starting point guard T.J. DiLeo played only three minutes before leaving with what Temple coach Fran Dunphy said appeared to be a high-ankle sprain.
The Owls started fast behind Wyatt.
The star senior scored or assisted on nine of Temple’s 12 field goals in the first half. He scored 10 points in 6 ½ minutes as the Owls led 15-9. Wyatt made all four of his 3-point tries in the first half. Temple shot 7 for 11 (63.6 percent) from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes but trailed 37-34 at intermission.
Dunham made three 3s in a 20-5 Butler run that swung the momentum in the middle of the half. The Bulldogs went from down seven to up eight in a span of just over eight minutes. By the time Dunphy used his first timeout of the night, Butler led 34-26.
Butler started the second half on a 7-0 run and went on to lead by as many as 13.
The Owls mustered one last gasp.
Lee, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson and Scootie Randall offered Wyatt a lift by providing all the points in an 18-5 Temple run that tied it at 56.
Butler answered immediately following a timeout.
Clarke hit Marshall for a highlight slam that started the 16-4 run which effectively put the game away. The Owls never got closer than seven points after that.
It shows response, Stevens said. It shows resiliency. We have no time to mope in this league. It was heartwarming to have him (Rotnei) back on the court, knowing what he went through.
Dunham made 5 of 6 3-pointers, with each successful try bringing the packed house to a full-throated roar. The freshman from Pendleton, Ind., had filled in quite well for Clarke, scoring 40 points in the three games.
Dunham went back to the bench, but his outside stroke remained the same.
That’s probably the thing you can say is that he’s growing, Stevens said. He’s shooting better. He’s making sound defensive plays.
Randall finished with 13 points, just his fourth double-figure outing in the last 10 games, and Hollis-Jefferson scored 11. Lee had 12 points and seven rebounds. No other Temple player scored more than six.
As Clarke cooled down in the second half, shooting just 1-for-6 from the field, he found other ways to produce. His 14 free-throw attempts were a career-high. He converted 13 of them. Clarke made eight free throws and dished five assists in the final 20 minutes.
Clarke is known for his 3-point prowess. On this night, his passing shined more than ever before.
You’ve got to be ready for both scenarios, Randall said. He’s really quick. He never stops moving. We had miscommunication. They took advantage.
