On an emotional night at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Butler Bulldogs were able to pull out the win they wanted, dedicating it to staff member Emerson Kampen, who missed the game Tuesday night after his six-month-old passed away early Monday morning. Emerson Kampen IV, or "Little Em" as he was called, was diagnosed with Leigh's Disease, a terminal, genetic disease several weeks ago.
Butler coach Chris Holtmann told media of Emerson Kampen IV's passing in the postgame press conference. Little Em's passing came less than three weeks after Andrew Smith lost his battle with cancer. Smith and Kampen were Butler teammates, both graduating in 2013.