Butler's dominant defense, a major storyline leading into this Final Four matchup, has indeed been the story in the first half as the Bulldogs lead 34-28. Butler closed the half on a 19-8 to take their largest lead of the game into the half.
After a quick 5-0 start, Butler let VCU turn up the defensive pressure and quickly retake the lead behind, what else, turnovers and three point shooting. But as the half wore on, Butler began to impose their defensive will, limiting what VCU does best, penetrating and kicking out for easy threes. After beginning the game four of eight from three, VCU ATTEMPTED only two more threes total since the roughly ten minute mark.
As they often doo, Butler has played ugly, but still find themselves on the right side of the scoreboard. Butler has shot just 34 perent from the floor, but VCU has shot only 40 percent, and every look is contested and under duress for the Rams.
Jamie Skeen (12 points) and Bradford Burgess (nine points) have led VCU, while Butler's stars Shelvin Mack and Mattt Howard have matched their Rams counterparts with 13 and nine points, respectively.