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Butler goes for second straight Horizon tournament title

Mar 10, 2009 - 1:36 PM Cleveland State (24-10) at No. 17 Butler (26-4), 9:00 p.m. EDT

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Butler looks to deny Cleveland State a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year when the teams meet in the Horizon League title game on Tuesday.

The 17th-ranked Bulldogs, who have likely already secured a place in the Tournament, defeated the Vikings, 70-55, in last season's championship game.

Matt Howard scored 24 points as Butler defeated Wright State, 62-57, in the semifinals on Saturday. Butler's second-leading scorer, Gordon Hayward, had just two points on 0-of-1 shooting in 33 minutes.

Cleveland State, which has not been to the NCAAs since 1986, posted a 73-67 triumph over Wisconsin-Green Bay on Saturday.

Norris Cole scored 23 points and J'Nathan Bullock added 16 for the Vikings, who lost both regular-season meetings with the Bulldogs by a combined four points.