A 3-pointer from Pete Campbell with 15 seconds left gave Butler its first lead (70-68) in its victory over a very poised Valparaiso squad last night. It turned out that was all they needed, after a Willie Veasley steal and free throw finished off the Crusaders 71-68.

A.J. Graves played one of his best games of the season down the stretch, almost single-handedly keeping Butler in the game in the final five minutes scoring basket after basket. Graves led the team in scoring (20), assists (four), and rebounds (eight) in front of the most hostile crowd the Dawgs have seen all season long.

“I didn’t take the team on my back,” Graves told ESPN. “We played well the whole game. Sometimes in our motion it just happens to be one guy making the points there.”