No offensive masterpiece this time. Butler can't keep up with No. 17 Creighton.

INDIANAPOLIS -- With March and the NCAA tournament inching closer and closer, the Butler Bulldogs are running out of time to add to their resume.

Saturday afternoon, No. 17 Creighton came into Hinkle Fieldhouse and dominated Butler, using a big second half to earn an 79-57 win over the Bulldogs.

Jalen Thomas led Butler with 18 points. Posh Alexander added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Here are three observations from Butler's loss.

Creighton uses 3-pointers to pull away

The second meeting between these two teams wasn't the offense explosion the first game was, but Creighton found its rhythm in the second half while Butler's offense could not.

Creighton drained six 3-pointers in the second half while the Dawgs shot 1-for-11 from deep, missing their first seven 3s of the half. They finished 6-for-22 from behind the line.

The Bluejays caught fire and Butler went cold. The Bulldogs went scoreless for nearly three minutes during a 9-0 Creighton run. Steven Ashworth's trey with 12:43 left put the Bluejays up 54-44. The visitors led by as many as 19 in the second half.

This game was one of Butler's first truly non-competitive games. Under the watchful eye of the selection committee, Saturday's game has to be blip and not a downward trend.

Jalen Thomas, Posh Alexander excel on both ends

Thomas and Alexander are strong all-around players, but neither player is considered a go-to option on offense. Maybe Creighton was thinking the same thing, because the veteran Bulldogs made them pay with their scoring ability in the first half.

Midway through the first, Thomas and Alexander were a perfect 8-for-8 from the field scoring 21 of Butler's 24 points. The duo, neither of them known for their outside shooting, were a combined 3-for-3 from 3. Their increased offense was needed as Pierre Brooks II, DJ Davis and Jahmyl Telfort scored a combined seven first-half points.

Defensively, Thomas and Alexander continued their strong play, Alexander causes havoc on the perimeter, and Thomas does the dirty work inside. Thomas finished with 18 points and five rebounds.

Both teams settle in defensively early, Butler cannot adjust

The first meeting between these teams was in an offensive masterpiece, one of the highest scoring games in Big East history, and true showcase of the evolution of the game. Saturday's game featured much more defense but was equally as entertaining, at least in the first half.

A healthy Alexander chased Creighton's guards around the perimeter. Augusto Cassia entered in the first half to shadow Baylor Scheierman while still having the length to help disrupt Creighton passing lanes. Both teams ran their offensive sets well, but the knowledge of having played them once before allowed the defenders to be a split second quicker in reacting, forcing more contested shots.

Creighton adjusted in the second half, going to the 3-pointer to provide offense. Butler could not adjust in the second half. After shooting 50% from the field in the first half, Butler shot jut 31% in the second.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler Bulldogs basketball loses to Creighton: Here's why.