Butler looked as though it might make quick and easy work of wrapping up the league title on its home floor, but despite the final margin, the victory wasn't quick or easy. Cleveland State fought back from an early 20-6 deficit to tie the game at 34 in the first half, but the Vikings could never pull ahead and instead watched Butler pull away in the game's final ten minutes. The Bulldogs were paced by tournament MVP Mike Green. Green scored 24 points, including 11-of-13 at the foul-line.

"In every game you're going to change runs," said Butler coach Brad Stevens. "And when we withstood that run (at the end of the first half), I felt pretty good at halftime."

The Vikings were plagued by poor outside shooting all night, and they were hampered by an unfortunate injury early in the second half. With leading scorer J'Nathan Bullock uncharacteristically struggling with his jumper, second-leading scorer Cedric Jackson crumpled to the Hinkle Fieldhouse floor in a heap two minutes into the second half with an apparent knee injury. After Jackson left the game, the pace slowed considerably and Butler was able to create open shots and free throws on the offensive end while milking the clock.

"When the game was close and Cedric went down, I thought the game changed," Cleveland State coach Gary Waters said. "They clamped down a little harder defensively and did a better job in the second half, and for about ten minutes we had a hard time scoring. That was the difference in the game."

Cleveland State, however, played the game with the industriousness that dominates March basketball, no doubt spurred by the knowledge that this was the program's best shot at an NCAA Tournament berth since its miracle Sweet 16 run in 1986 - the only Tournament appearance in school history.

"We just couldn't get over that hump," Bullock said. "We couldn't get over Butler's defense."

The Vikings shot just 2-for-16 from behind the arc.

Cleveland State's desperation, however, was no match for Butler's superior talent and execution. Now the Bulldogs march on to a potential top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament. That seed may just give Buter a first-round match-up against one of those bubble teams that the Bulldogs helped out tonight.

"I might look (at Bracketology) tomorrow, because I don't have a team to prepare for," Stevens said. "We'll come up with a list of teams we might might and make sure we're starting to gather as much film on them as possible."

Waters said he's confident the Vikings will play in the post-season.

"I told our team to keep their heads up," he said. "We've got a lot more basketball left to play, and we've had a great season. One game doesn't change any of that."

Stevens said he's proud of his program's five seniors.

"These guys just focus on what they can control," Stevens said, "and they bring it every single day. I'm just really happy for them."