Field Level Media
19 Feb 2026, 07:55 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
Finley Bizjack returned and scored a game-high 19 points and Butler held on to beat Georgetown 93-89 on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. as Thad Matta earned his 500th career victory.
Michael Ajayi and Jamie Kaiser Jr. each scored 16 and Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor added 12 as Butler (14-13, 5-11 Big East) ended a season-high six-game losing streak and split the season series with the Hoyas (13-13, 5-10) despite not making a field goal over the final 3:47.
Matta, a Butler graduate who began his head coaching career with the Bulldogs in 2000 and is now in his second stint, also coached at Xavier and Ohio State before returning in 2022.
Caleb Williams led Georgetown with 16 points while KJ Lewis had 15 and Julius Halaifonua and Vince Iwuchukwu added 12 as the Hoyas have now dropped three straight after a four-game winning streak.
Bizjack -- the Big East's second leading scorer at 17.4 ppg -- missed Butler's 63-56 loss to Seton Hall on Sunday with a left wrist injury, and also had six assists.
After trailing by as many as 15 in the second half, Georgetown made its final six field goals, including three 3-pointers from Williams, closing the gap to 91-89 with 5 seconds left before two Yame Butler free throws.
The Hoyas made their final four 3-pointers after starting 2 of 18.
Georgetown finished 34 of 60 (56.7%) from the field while Butler shot 33 of 59 (55.9%).
Butler connected on its first six shots from the field and didn't let up much from there in shooting 70% (21 of 30) in the first half and leading 54-45 at the break. Ajayi and Kaiser combined for 25 in the opening half on 10 of 13 shooting as Butler scored a season-high in the first half during conference play.
Bizjack made a jumper in the lane and connected on the ensuing free throw to cap a 7-0 Butler spurt to give the Bulldogs their first double-digit lead at 22-11 with 12:57 left in the half.
Halaifonua scored 10 in the first half, including back-to-back dunks, as Georgetown cut the lead to seven on multiple occasions and stayed close by shooting 55.9% before the break.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Cleveland Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cleveland Star.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - American stock markets finished firmly in positive territory on Wednesday, with all three major U.S. indices posting...
LOS ANGELES, California: When visual effects veteran Michael Eng began scanning job listings after last year's production slowdown,...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that, according to the medium-term fiscal plan, government departments will have to...
MILAN, Italy: Visitors buying merchandise at the Milano Cortina Winter Games are encountering a payments reality that has long troubled...
SINGAPORE: Travelers flying out of Singapore will begin paying a new levy this year as the city-state moves to fund the use of sustainable...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets made hesitant gains Tuesday, after returning from a 3-day holiday weekend to mark President's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned five former professional football players this week for past crimes such as...
DUBLIN, Ohio: Wendy's is accelerating restaurant closures in the United States and doubling down on everyday value offerings after...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After the White House excluded Democratic governors from a meeting with President Donald Trump later this month,...
(Photo credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images) Finley Bizjack returned and scored a game-high 19 points and Butler held on to beat Georgetown...
(Photo credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images) While the All-Star Game infrastructure figures to be gone by the time the Los Angeles Clippers...
(Photo credit: David Richard-Imagn Images) The Cleveland Cavaliers carried the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference into...
