RALEIGH, N.C. — Butler battled bravely against a No. 1 seed, as it so often has in March. But the Bulldogs couldn’t stop a Virginia basketball team that very much resembled themselves.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 22 points, and the Cavaliers pulled away from the ninth-seeded Bulldogs 77-69 on Saturday in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
The Bulldogs were within 72-69 under the 30-second mark, but Virginia secured the victory by sinking 5-of-6 free throws, four by Brogdon.
Andrew Chrabascz scored 25 points for Butler (22-11) as Virginia defenders concentrated on other players. He was held scoreless over the closing 13 minutes, and Butler could not get enough stops to keep up with Virginia’s 54-point second half.