His players knew and the supporters who made the trip from Indianapolis knew, but Butler coach Thad Matta insisted he had no idea that Detroit had lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee earlier Saturday.
That result was announced during the first timeout of Butler’s game with Illinois-Chicago at the Pavilion, and Butler’s Joel Cornette heard it. Butler and Detroit entered the day tied for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference lead.
“I didn’t believe it; I thought it was a trick,” said Cornette, who had a career-high 20 points while playing all 40 minutes.
It wasn’t a trick. After Cornette and his teammates watched UIC’s final shot–a three-point attempt by Jon-Pierre Mitchom–bounce off the rim to secure Butler’s 68-66 victory, the Bulldogs could celebrate the regular-season championship of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
“We’re going to celebrate today, maybe a little bit tomorrow and then focus on the conference tournament,” Matta said.
Matta, in his first year at Butler, said he didn’t hear the Detroit result until after his game. He said his players knew better than to tell him during the game.
“I try not to worry about what I can’t control,” he said.
The title wasn’t assured until Mitchom’s attempt went long. Butler (20-7, 11-3) missed five of its last seven free throws to keep UIC’s hopes alive. The Flames (11-16, 5-9) had five players in double figures, led by Mitchom and Taurus Cook with 12 points each.
Butler guard Brandon Miller added 15 points and also played the entire game.
