Manny Bates, Butler fend off Yale

Manny Bates had 22 points while Simas Lukosius made 4 of 5 3-pointers to finish with 14 points as Butler never trailed in winning its third straight game, 71-61 over visiting Yale on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

Jayden Taylor also scored 14 and pulled down six rebounds, while the 6-foot-11 Bates grabbed seven boards for Butler (7-3), which made half of its 50 field-goal attempts and went 7 of 14 from 3-point range to improve to 6-0 at home. It's the Bulldogs' best start at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse since going 9-0 in 2019-20.

EJ Jarvis and Bez Mbeng each scored 14 points for Yale (8-2), which entered amid its best start since going 14-1 in 1945-46. Yale shot 41.7 percent and 6 of 20 from distance while committing 14 turnovers.

Butler, which has been hit hard with early-season injuries, played just six players Tuesday. The Bulldogs led by nine at halftime and pushed it to 13 when Bates opened the second half with four straight points.

However, six straight points from Jarvis and a Matt Knowling bucket made up an 8-0 run that got Yale within 41-36. Taylor then knocked down a 3 to extend Butler's cushion.

Yale immediately got back to within five, but another Taylor bucket and four consecutive points from Bates got Butler's edge back into double digits, and they eventually kept Yale at arm's length. Lukosius hit treys on consecutive possessions with just over three minutes to play to give Butler a 12-point lead.

Bates scored the game's first four points for Butler, later adding another basket that capped a 12-0 run for an early 22-7 advantage. Yale started the game 6 of 21 from the field and went a little more than four minutes without a basket before heating up late in the first half.

Mbeng scored six straight Yale points during one stretch with under four minutes to play in the opening half. Knowling's basket just before the halftime buzzer left the visitors down 37-28 at the break.

Butler shot 51.7 percent from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first half.