Jayden Taylor scored 18 points, Jair Bolden scored 16 points and Bryce Golden added 12 as Butler downed Central Arkansas, 85-53, in Indianapolis on Friday night.

The Bulldogs (2-0) led by only eight at halftime but shot 58.3 percent in the second half to pull away from the overmatched Bears. Butler shot 57.4 percent from the floor for the game.

Camren Hunter scored 14 points for Central Arkansas (0-2) and hit a three-pointer from past midcourt at the halftime buzzer.

Butler scored the first five points of the second half to open a 43-30 lead before Ibbe Klintman hit a three for the Bears. But a tip-in by Bryce Nze and a fast-break layup by a trailing Nze off a nifty feed from Simas Lukosius put the Bulldogs in front, 47-33. That prompted a timeout from Central Arkansas coach Anthony Boone.

But the Bulldogs kept rolling, as Golden's basket off an assist from Ty Groce capped another quick 10-2 run and gave the Bulldogs a 57-35 advantage. Groce, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, sat out the previous game with a knee injury.

Butler's offense was somewhat crisper early in the first half than it had been in a lackluster season-opening victory over IUPUI. The Bulldogs again were missing point guard Aaron Thompson, serving the second game of a three-game suspension for violating team rules. No player had more than three assists for the hosts for the game.

But without their floor leader, the offense again bogged down at times, as Butler went 3:47 without a basket during one stretch before back-to-back three-pointers by Golden and Groce increased the lead 30-22 after Central Arkansas gotten within two points. Butler shot 6-for-10 from three-point range during the half.

As time was winding down in the first half, Myles Wilmoth scored on an offensive rebound for Butler, but the Bears' Hunter answered with a three-pointer from beyond halfcourt to trim Butler's lead to 38-30 at halftime.

--Field Level Media