Live Blog: Bulldogs @ Ohio State

UPDATE 12:12, Lighty was 2 for 13 from 3 before sticking that one.

UPDATE 12:16, Good passing by Butler that possession, but better post defense as Matt Howard misses inside.

UPDATE 12:20, Gordon Hayward hits again on the longball. Dawgs down by 4.

UPDATE 12:22, And how about one more time? Hayward has 9 of Butler's 12 points. The Buckeyes lead by 3 with 9:28 to go in the half.

UPDATE 12:26, Both teams turn it over. 16 combined already in the game.

UPDATE 12:31, Beautiful bounce pass on the fast break as Shelvin Mack puts home the one-hand jam!

UPDATE 12:32, Mack drives baseline and finds Hayward in the corner AGAIN for a three! Gordon is 4 for 4 from the field for 12 points. Game tied.

UPDATE 12:37, With 3:59 left before halftime, we stand knotted at 19 apiece. Hayward has 14 points on 5 for 6 shooting.

UPDATE 12:43, The length of Ohio State continues to trouble the Bulldogs. Turnovers are the reason Butler trails 25-21.

UPDATE 12:49, Great effort by Matt Howard to keep the rebound alive and then he's fouled and hits two free throws.

UPDATE 12:53, Buckeyes 29-23 at intermission.

UPDATE 1:33, After going down by as much as 12, Butler has chipped away and reduced the deficit back to 6 points, 45-39. Hayward has 19 pts and Shelvin Mack has 13. The rest of the team combined has 7. If the Dawgs are going to win, it looks like it will have to be a two-man rodeo.

UPDATE 1:37, Very shady foul call on Matt Howard, who was hooked across the arm by the OSU player but got whistled for the contact nonetheless.

UPDATE 1:40, With 8:25 to go, Matt Howard makes a big 3-point play rolling to the basket. Dagws back within 6.

UPDATE 1:52, Hayward is 6 of 7 from 3-point range as Butler pulls within 2, 50-48!

UPDATE 1:55, HE DOES IT AGAIN! Tied at 51-51, and the stage is set for a big finish in Columbus.

UPDATE 2:00, Mack misses his second three in as many posessions that could have given Butler the lead. Now, with 1:03 left, Ohio State is fouled and hits a free throw to go up 54-51.

UPDATE 2:02, Evan Turner, OSU's leading scorer, misses inside and leaves the door ajar! Timeout Bulldogs, 10 seconds left, needing a 3-pointer to force overtime!

UPDATE 2:05, Hayward misses a contested 3 as time expires. The Bulldogs fall to 8-1 with a 54-51 defeat.

WRAPUP: Once the heartbreak passes, Bulldog fans can turn to this game and find evidence that this young edition of Butler basketball is legitimate. Questioned by pundits entering the season, Brad Stevens' crew showed today that their strong start could carry over in a hostile Big Ten arena. Yes, Butler shot 32% from the floor and turned over the orange 19 times. No one is saying Butler played particularly well, at least offensively. But what they did do was show real grit and star power in nearly toppling an undefeated, ranked Ohio State club. Gordon Hayward, who finished with 25, was remarkable. Between him, Matt Howard, and Shelvin Mack, I saw three players who can make the plays when needed. Going forward, that bodes well for Butler. Today, Thad Matta was fortunate to escape with a win.