GAME NOTES: Butler closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Sunday, as the Bulldogs entertain the Belmont Bears at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Bulldogs started off the 2014-15 campaign with four straight victories and wins in eight of their first nine outings, but then reality set in with back- to-back defeats versus the likes of Tennessee and Indiana. Although, Butler did put an end to the brief slide with a 64-37 rout of UT-Martin three days before Christmas.

The Bulldogs are set to tip off their Big East Conference slate on New Year's Eve at Villanova.

As for the Bruins, since opening the campaign with a loss at Wright State, the team has registered eight wins in 11 opportunities. However, like the Bulldogs, Belmont has also dealt with a brief skid recently, dropping three in a row, one of those again coming against the Raiders.

On Dec. 20 the Bruins, who are finishing off a three-game road trip versus Butler, made their way back into the win column with a 73-61 triumph over Fairfield.

This is the fourth meeting between the programs, the first since the 1999-2000 campaign, with the Bulldogs having taken two of the first three encounters. The most recent meeting saw Butler rip the Bruins in a 79-35 final in Indianapolis.

At Webster Bank Arena, the Bruins welcomed back Craig Bradshaw and he did not disappoint as he nailed all six of his field goal attempts in order to finish with a team-best 15 points in the victory over the Stags. Evan Bradds added 13 points, Nick Smith 12 and Amanze Egekeze 11 points for the Bruins. While he failed to reach double figures in the scoring department, Reece Chamberlain still made a considerable impact with 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Bradshaw, who missed three games, continues to lead the Bruins in scoring with 20.6 ppg, thanks to his 45.6 percent shooting behind the 3-point line. Bradds checks in with 13.2 ppg and 5.7 rpg, having knocked down an impressive 64.5 percent from the floor as he remains close to the rim. Taylor Barnette accounts for another 11.1 ppg, converting a team-high 29 triples. As a unit, the Bruins are averaging slightly better than 10 3-pointers per contest, en route to 73.3 ppg.

UT Martin managed to hang around for a short time against the Bulldogs, but the visitors eventually scored only 14 points in the second half, en route to the lopsided setback. Butler, who shot only 6-of-20 behind the 3-point line and turned the ball over 16 times, was led by Andrew Chrabascz with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, followed by Kellen Dunham with 15 points and Kelan Martin 10 in 19 minutes off the bench.

Dunham is responsible for 16.8 ppg, having made good on not just 43.8 percent beyond the arc, but also 89.8 percent at the free-throw line. Roosevelt Jones adds another 10.5 ppg, as does Martin, but the former has converted just 58.8 percent at the charity stripe, bringing the entire team down to only 65.9 percent. However, even with the Bulldogs having trouble at the line, it is still better than the competition which has combined to make only 62.4 percent.

Priding themselves on playing stout defense and limiting the opposition to only 56.2 ppg, the Bulldogs are sure to give Belmont a hard time at that end of the floor on Sunday.