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Butler returns home for meeting with Illinois-Chicago

Feb 13, 2009 - 11:19 AM Illinois-Chicago (11-13) at No. 15 Butler (21-2) 7:00 p.m. EST

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- After a strenuous road trip that started poorly but ended well, Butler is happy to be home.

The 15th-ranked Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday for a meeting with Illinois-Chicago.

Butler (21-2, 12-1 Horizon) completed a string of three road games in six days with a 2-1 record, dropping the opener, 75-66, to Wisconsin-Green Bay on February 2.

The Bulldogs bounced back by working out a five-point victory against Horizon League bottom-feeder Detroit three days later before cruising to a 69-51 triumph over Wright State, sweeping the season-series with their league rivals on Saturday.

Zach Hahn scored a career-high 17 points and Willie Veasley added 13 for Butler, which led by as many as 24 points in the second half against Wright State en route to snapping a seven-game losing streak at the Nutter Center.

Illinois-Chicago (11-13, 4-10) snapped a five-game slide with a 64-53 victory over Detroit on Tuesday. The Flames' leading-scorer Josh Mayo, who averages 16.4 points per game, led the way with 22 points.