Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 58F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 58F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Updated: December 20, 2025 @ 6:16 pm
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Ajayi posted a 19-point, 20-rebound double-double as Butler held off Northwestern 61-58 on Saturday night in the Indy Classic.
Butler (9-3) overcame a tough shooting performance by controlling second chances, finishing with a 41-35 rebounding edge. The Bulldogs set the tone early, outrebounding Northwestern 23-14 in the first half and scoring 10 second-chance points to the Wildcats’ zero.
Northwestern (7-5) trailed 29-23 at the break and never led after halftime, though the Wildcats repeatedly cut into the margin.
The Wildcats made their final push in the closing minute. Tre Singleton’s jumper with 31 seconds left pulled Northwestern within one, but Ajayi answered on the next possession with a layup off a pass from Drayton Jones to restore a three-point cushion.
After Northwestern came up empty on its next trip, Butler closed it out at the line. Evan Haywood made two free throws with 19 seconds remaining, and the Wildcats missed two 3-point attempts in the final 12 seconds.
Jayden Reid led Northwestern with 14 points and six assists. Angelo Ciaravino added 12 points, scoring six in the final 10 minutes. The Wildcats struggled from long range, shooting 4 of 23 from 3-point distance.
Butler shot 38% from the field and 7 of 30 from beyond the arc but leaned on rebounding and defense to secure the win.
Butler hosts NJIT on Monday
Northwestern has 10 days off before facing Howard on Dec. 30.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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