TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Jahmyl Telfort scored 23 points, Andre Screen added 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks Thursday night as Butler blew a 15-point lead before the Bulldogs beat Northwestern 71-69 at the Arizona Tip-Off.
Butler (5-1) plays the winner between UNLV and No. 25 Mississippi State in the championship game of the Cactus Division on Friday. Northwestern (5-2) takes on the the loser in the third-place game.
Ty Berry hit a 3 and then stole a pass that led to a layup by Jalen Leach 2 seconds later that gave Northwestern a one-point lead — its first since 6-4 — at 53-52 with 6 1/2 minutes to play. Telfort put the Bulldogs back in front when he made two free throws, Finley Bizjack added a 3-pointer about a minute later and Butler led the rest of the way.
Brooks Barnhizer made a layup and two foul shots just 6 seconds apart to make it 63-62 but Patrick McCaffrey, who finished with 10 points, hit two free throws with 9 seconds left and Butler held on from there.
Barnhizer led the Wildcats with 24 points and Matthew Nicholson scored 14. Nick Martinelli, who went in averaging 23.8 points per game (No. 4 nationally), finished with seven on 3-of-15 shooting.
Screen scored eight points in a 17-2 run that gave Butler a 21-8 lead with 8 minutes left in the first half after he capped the spurt with a tip-in and a layup. Patrick McCaffrey made a 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 15 points about 2 minutes later.
Northwestern made just two of its first 15 shots and hit 9 of 29 (31%) in the first half.
Butler has won seven straight against Northwestern.
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