Butler basketball needs double overtime to avoid upset bid by Cal

In a back-and-forth high-level offensive game, Butler got key stops in the second overtime, pulling away for a 97-90 win over Cal.

Posh Alexander led Butler with 21 points, six assists and four rebounds, Jahmyl Telfort scored 20 points. Pierre Brooks II added 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Cal (3-6) jumped out to a 16-4 lead before Butler starting chipping away at the deficit.

Here's three reasons the Bulldogs (8-2) earned their second overtime win of the season.

'We took a heck of a punch.'But Butler's veterans didn't panic, finally put Cal to bed.

Cal's offense starts on fire, Dawgs clamp down in second half

Despite Butler's best efforts on defense, Cal could not miss to start the game.

Cal started 4-for-5 from 3 and finished the first half 7-for-13 (53%) from deep. Fardaws Aimaq, Keonte Kennedy and Jalen Cone had two 3-pointers each. Butler didn't make a 3-pointer until Finley Bizjack's baseline trey just before the first half buzzer. Saturday's game was Kennedy's second of the season after spraining his wrist before the season started.

He's one of six Golden Bears that entered the game averaging double figures. Aimaq, Kennedy and Cone all finished with at least 20 points.

Cal runs a methodical offense with lots of movement, working to find open shots, which forces Butler to guard for the majority of the shot clock. When Cal wasn't moving the ball around, the Golden Bears made the Dawgs pay by taking open shots early in the shot clock.

As the game progressed, both teams figured out ways to stop the other offense. In the second overtime, Butler clamped down for good, forcing a shot clock violation with 3:42 left. D.J. Davis forced a Cal turnover and passed ahead to Alexander for a layup on Cal's next possession. Andre Screen forced Cal's third straight turnover with a steal, leading to a Brooks dagger 3-pointer, putting Butler up 92-85 with 1:53 left.

'When he's shooting, he'll talk to me.'Finley Bizjack, mom's bond grew through basketball.

Finley Bizjack gives Butler a boost off bench

Freshman guard Finley Bizjack is starting to find his footing as a high-major basketball player. One game after sinking two 3s against Buffalo, Bizjack's play in the first half kept Butler in the game. Bizjack showed strength, finishing through contact for a three-point play. He leaked out for a transition layup and ended the half with a baseline trey, Butler's first of the game.

The 6-4 guard from Texas set a new career high of eight points, all coming in the first half. On an afternoon where Jahmyl Telfort struggled to find his offense early, scoring just two points in the first half, every point off the bench was needed.

Posh Alexander leads from the paint 

Listed at just 6-feet tall, Butler point guard Posh Alexander has a knack for scoring amongst the trees in the paint. Whenever Butler needed a bucket in the second half, Alexander used his strength to get inside and somehow found the right angle to lay the ball off the glass or elevate over his man with a floater.

Alexander didn't hit a shot from 3, but he still led the Dawgs with 21 points, his career high with Butler. Alexander, Telfort and Brooks all have the ability to will a basket during any possession. When a possession looks like it's heading nowhere, Butler's veterans can put their heads down and force their way to the hoop. As a team Butler had a 54-42 advantage on points in the paint.