INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — In a stunning display of second-half dominance, the Butler Bulldogs erupted for 65 points after halftime to turn a tight contest into a decisive 94-69 victory over the Wright State Raiders in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday afternoon at a sold-out Hinkle Fieldhouse.

A crowd of 7,277 watched the Bulldogs improve to 6-1 on the season, while the Raiders fell to an even 4-4.

The first half was a defensive struggle, with neither team able to establish a significant rhythm. Wright State, the visiting team, managed to build a slim lead, heading into the locker room with a 32-29 advantage. The Raiders’ defense was disruptive early, and the Bulldogs struggled to find clean looks, shooting poorly from the field in the opening period.

Any notion of an upset, however, was swiftly erased after the break. Butler came out of halftime with relentless energy, immediately seizing control of the game. The Bulldogs opened the second half on a blistering 23-5 run, overwhelming the Raiders with a combination of stifling defense and efficient, high-octane offense.

The transformation was stark. After scoring just 29 points in the first half, Butler nearly matched that total in the first eight minutes of the second, completely flipping the script. The Bulldogs shot a remarkable percentage from the floor in the second half, a stark contrast to their first-half struggles. Their offense was fueled by a significant advantage in fastbreak points, outscoring Wright State 21-11 in that category, many of which came during the game-altering run.

Leading the charge for Butler was Michael Ajayi. The 6-foot-7 forward from Kent, Washington, was a force on both ends of the floor, finishing with a team-high 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block in 32 minutes of action. His versatility and scoring punch were central to the Bulldogs’ offensive explosion.

He was complemented perfectly by a dominant performance from the frontcourt. Yohan Traore, a 6-foot-11 center from Tours, France, provided a massive spark off the bench, scoring 16 points in just 20 minutes. His interior presence and efficiency helped stretch the Wright State defense. Fellow big man Drayton Jones, a 6-foot-11 Houston native, contributed eight points and seven rebounds, controlling the paint and setting a physical tone.

The backcourt duo of Finley Bizjack and Azavier Robinson was equally instrumental. Bizjack, from Trophy Club, Texas, matched Ajayi’s scoring output with 20 points of his own, knocking down critical three-pointers during the second-half surge. Robinson, an Indianapolis native, orchestrated the offense with four assists, added nine points, and was a pest defensively, recording multiple steals that led to easy transition baskets.

For Wright State, the game was a tale of two halves. After playing a competitive and disciplined first 20 minutes, they had no answer for Butler’s intensified pressure after the intermission. The Raiders were led by TJ Burch, a 6-foot-1 guard from Dallas, who tallied 13 points and five assists. Michael Cooper, from Jeffersonville, Indiana, added 12 points.

The Raiders’ lone bright spot in the face of the onslaught was the work of Michael Imariagbe on the glass. The 6-foot-7 forward from Houston battled tirelessly, pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds to go with six points and a block.

Butler’s balanced attack was too much, as they also held a 50-42 advantage in points in the paint, underscoring their interior dominance. The victory extends Butler’s strong early-season form, which includes notable road wins at Virginia and South Carolina. Wright State, coming off a win at Stetson, will look to regroup before its next contest.

The game’s final score comfortably eclipsed the pregame over/under line, and the Bulldogs easily covered the spread as heavy favorites, performing exactly as national statistical models had predicted with a overwhelming probability to win. Butler now looks ahead to a home matchup against Eastern Michigan, while Wright State travels to face Horizon League foe Youngstown State.