Butler blitzes Vandy in 2nd half, cruise 68-49

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Butler went on a 14-3 run in the first 4:31 of the second half and never looked back, as the No. 18 Bulldogs came to Vanderbilt and routed the Commodores by a 68-49 score in Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday night.

A crowd of 11,990 fans watched silently as Butler's Rotnei Clarke - the same Rotnei Clark who torched VU for 36 as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks in his last Memorial Gym appearance two years ago - got hot and hit six shots in a row at one point, with five being 3-pointers. Clarke got a game-high 22 as Butler improved to 10-2 and won its seventh-straight game.

VU's entire offense struggled to get untracked, as VU shot 33.3 percent (17-of-51) from the floor and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from the line.

Butler led 25-22 at half, even though Clarke (six points at the break) missed his first six shots.

The Commodores (5-6) play William & Mary (7-4) on Wednesday, Jan. 2.