No. 18 #MUBB Rally Falls Short In 85-79 Loss at Butler

The No. 18 Marquette University men's basketball team (16-9, 8-6 BIG EAST) dropped an 85-79 decision at Butler (12-13, 5-9 BIG EAST) Saturday afternoon in BIG EAST action.

Forward Justin Lewis led the way with 27 points and Tyler Kolek chipped in 17 points in the loss. Marquette closed the 15-point halftime gap as close as four points at 83-79 with 9.7 seconds left, but wasn't able to every make it a one-possession game.

The Golden Eagles trailed by as many as 21 points in the opening half after Butler opened the game 6-of-8 from behind the 3-point line. MU was down 42-27 at the intermission after shooting just 35.7 percent from the floor overall and 3-of-13 from long distance.

Notables:

Forward Justin Lewis finished with 27 points, reaching double figures for the 23^rd time this season and 11^th-straight BIG EAST game.
Marquette and Butler met for the first time Saturday afternoon and will conclude the home-and-home series at Fiserv Forum on Feb. 26
Greg Elliott finished with 13 points, reaching double figures in back-to-back games for the first time since the league opener against Xavier.

UP NEXT: Marquette returns to Fiserv Forum to host Georgetown at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Keep up with the Marquette men's basketball program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMBB) and Instagram (@marquette.basketball) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMensBB). Fans interested in tickets can contact the Marquette Ticket Office online or at 414-288-GOMU (4668).