If he hadn’t already in the first eight games of the season, BGSU men’s basketball senior guard Derrick Butler fully introduced himself to Bowling Green fans in the Falcon’s 102-81 victory over Morgan State at the Stroh Center on Saturday afternoon.
Butler dominated the contest, scoring a career-high 35 points. He had previously scored 28 last twice, most recently against Creighton while playing for Central Michigan last season.
The performance didn’t surprise head coach Todd Simon.
“It’s not unexpected. If you said, ‘Hey, Derrick was going to have 35 today,’ I’d be like, ‘Ok, yeah, that’s expected; he can do that,'” Simon said postgame. “Today was Derrick’s turn. When Derrick’s getting going, we’re going to find him looks, and that’s how it goes.”
Butler played a game-high 34:37 against the Bears, shooting 13-21 from the field, 6-9 from deep and 3-3 from the charity stripe, showcasing his confidence.
“I’m just like a confident all-around player, but I’m just thankful for my teammates finding me in the right spots and overall just having the confidence in myself to make every shot,” Butler said.
Butler took full control of the game towards the end of the first half, scoring 12 straight points for the Orange and Brown in just two minutes.
During the run, Butler hit two three-pointers, nailed a jumper, made a layup and added a dunk for good measure.
“I didn’t even know I had 12 straight points. But like I said, my teammates just have so much confidence in me,” Butler said. “My teammates just find me when I get warm, and they just know my spots on the court, so I’m thankful for them.”
Although Butler was one of the most talked about offseason acquisitions for the Falcons after leading Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe Central Michigan with 52 three-pointers and a 41.6% three-point percentage, he didn’t get off to the fastest start in Bowling Green.
Butler started just once through the first four games this year, playing only 18.3 minutes per game. He averaged only 8.0 points per game, shooting 37.5% (12-32) from the field, 31.6% (6-19) on three-pointers and only got to the free throw line four times.
However, in the past five games, Butler has earned three starts and played 34.8 minutes per game.
He has started playing at the level from last season, scoring 20.6 points per game and shooting 51.4% (36-70) from the field and a blistering 50% (16-32) from beyond the arc. He has also shot 16 free throws, making 15.
Butler currently ranks third in the MAC with 22 three-pointers, seventh with 15.0 points per game and ninth with a 43.1% three-point percentage.
Next, Simon, Butler and the rest of the Falcons will head to Missouri to face the Kansas City Roos on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. Falcon Media Sports Network will have a preview and recap for the matchup on bgfalconmedia.com.
