INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Mike Green matched his career high with 24 points and No. 12 Butler used a big second-half run to beat Cleveland State 70-55 for its fifth Horizon League championship and first automatic berth in the NCAAs since 2001.
Butler (29-3) blew a 14-point lead in the first half but pulled away again midway through the second half and took a 60-44 lead with 6 minutes to go on consecutive 3-pointers by Drew Streicher and reserve Zach Hahn.
J’Nathan Bullock, who led Cleveland State (21-12) with 21 points, scored the next five for the Vikings, but they never came closer than 13 points the rest of the game.
Matt Howard added 16 points and Streicher scored a season-high 11 for the Bulldogs.
Both of Butler’s NCAA appearances since it last won the Horizon tournament came as at-large selections.
e their first tournament appearance since 1986.
Green, the league’s Most Valuable Player for the season, was also named tournament MVP.
Summitt League
Oral Roberts 71, IUPUI 64
TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Moses Ehambe hit seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points, and Oral Roberts earned an automatic NCAA tournament berth with its third straight Summit League tournament title.
Robert Jarvis added 16 points and Shawn King scored 10, and the two teamed up to lead the Golden Eagles (24-8) down the stretch.
After losing the title game on a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in 2005, Oral Roberts has swept the conference tournament in its hometown the past three years.
George Hill had 24 points to lead the Jaguars (26-7), Austin Montgomery scored 16 and Gary Patterson added 14.
Sun Belt
Western Kentucky 67, Middle Tennessee 57
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) – Jeremy Evans had 20 points and 14 rebounds as Western Kentucky defeated Middle Tennessee to win the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship and an NCAA bid.
Tyrone Brazelton and Courtney Lee added 13 points apiece for Western Kentucky (27-6), which won the Sun Belt for the sixth time.
Desmond Yates had 16 points for Middle Tennessee (17-15), Demetrus Green scored 12 points and Theryn Hudson added 10 for the Blue Raiders.
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