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No. 17 Butler opens home conference schedule against Valpo

Jan 5, 2008 - 2:24 PM Valparaiso (11-3) at No. 17 Butler (12-1) 2:00 pm EST

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) - No. 17 Butler plays its first Horizon League home game of the season on Saturday against new league member Valparaiso.

The Bulldogs (12-1, 1-1 Horizon) have opened the season with 12 victories in their first 13 games for the fifth time in school history and the second time in two years. It is the first home game since December 19 for Butler, which is 3-0 at home.

The Bulldogs have won four consecutive games, including a 57-55 victory triumph on December 28 at Southern Illinois. A.J. Graves hit a long 3-pointer in the closing seconds to provide the winning margin.

Graves leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 16.3 points and also has a team-high 21 steals.

The Crusaders (11-3, 2-0), who have already defeated defending league champion Wright State, have lost to Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

Valparaiso has four players averaging double figures, led by senior guard Jarryd Loyd at 11.7 points per game.

The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 60-32. The teams last played as conference opponents in 1977-78.