Butler reached the Final Four for a second March Madness in a row Saturday night, but their experience in the 2011 NCAA Tournament is more impressive even than that–they did it coming out of the No. 8 seed this season, knocking out the No. 2 Florida Gators 74-71 in an Elite Eight overtime contest. Shelvin Mack put together 27 points in the win, five of them in overtime, to lead the Bulldogs; after an outstanding Sweet 16 performance Alex Tyus scored 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Gators. It's the first time an eight seed has been a two seed since 1985, when Villanova topped North Carolina by a score of 56-44 and Memphis State 52-45.
The Bulldogs continue to win disproportionately close games, and they've now beaten a 1, a 2, and a 4 on their way to the NCAA National Championship game. Khyle Marshall added 10 points and seven rebounds—all offensive—for the Bulldogs, who managed to pull out a close game despite shooting just 17-27 from the free throw line.