'I'm going to fight for my players.' Thad Matta ejection can't spark Butler vs. St. John's

Even in a loss, this Butler team continues to show it's heading in the right direction under coach Thad Matta.

Tuesday's 86-70 loss to St. John's was ugly for long stretches. Butler struggled shooting, it struggled rebounding, it struggled inbounding the ball. And through all those struggles, D.J. Davis' layup with 12:50 left in the game cut the Bulldogs' deficit to six.

The Red Storm (10-4, 2-1 Big East) responded, extending its lead to 17. Three pointers from Davis and Pierre Brooks II sparked an 8-0 run, but the host had the answer, clamping down on defense and putting the game away. The Bulldogs kept fighting, and Matta made sure his players knew he was fighting for them as well.

After a Chris Ledlum layup with 2:30 left, Matta and a referee exchanged words. Matta felt like the refs were calling the game in a way that favored St. John's, and he let them know. Matta quickly received two technical fouls and was ejected. Assistant Alex Barlow finished the game as the head man.

It's unclear what exactly Matta was upset about. Butler (10-4, 1-2) was called for 16 personal fouls while St. John's was called for 13. The foul difference led to 21 free throw attempts for St. John's and 12 for Butler. Four of St. John's free throws were technical free throws after Matta was ejected.

"I don't condone the behavior I had, but I will fight for them," Matta said. "(I) felt like we were at a disadvantage, and it hurt our game prep. I apologize for my behavior, but I'm going to fight for my players. There's no question about that."

Matta said he wants players with a chip on their shoulder. During what ultimately is a bad loss after an extended layoff, the longtime coach showed he still has his edge. The Bulldogs didn't rally with their coach in the locker room, but the outward display of emotion should be endearing to the Butler players.

Entering the toughest stretch of the season with games against No. 4 UConn and No. 7 Marquette looming, maintaining the fight and desire to win is paramount. Butler will be underdogs against the preseason conference favorites, and upsets only happen if every player on the team believes they can pull it off.

Last season, early deficits regularly turned into 20-point losses. Tuesday's loss was Butler's worst since its 20-point loss to Michigan State. Beating Butler at Hinkle won't be easy, but the Dawgs are 0-3 on the road. Still, these losses don't feel as damning as last season.

With veteran point guard Posh Alexander as the emotional leader of the team, these Dawgs won't lay down. Tuesday's game wasn't the homecoming the former St. John's point guard wanted, but he said after the game there were no hard feelings toward new coach Rick Pitino or the St. John's program.

"It felt good just knowing that I still have love around here," Alexander said. "Just playing at Carnesecca for the last time, felt good playing against some of my boys, playing against Rick Pitino. Just playing against a good basketball team over there, and I felt like they played well today."

Alexander received a warm welcome pregame, but once the game tipped off, the fans treated him to harsher New York greetings. Butler must get used to playing in unfriendly confines. The Dawgs alternate road/home games throughout January and their defense has yet to accompany them on a road trip.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball loses to St. John's as Thad Matta ejected