White helps No. 12 Houston knock off Butler 70-52 in Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Fabian White Jr. scored 21 points and No. 12 Houston rode a dominating first half to a 70-52 win over Butler in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

The Cougars overwhelmed Butler early, scoring the game’s first 17 points while building a 21-point halftime lead.

They weren’t quite as locked in at either end of the floor to start the second half, allowing the Bulldogs to creep back in it before pulling away down the stretch.

Next up for Houston is a semifinal matchup with Wisconsin.

Jair Bolden had 16 points for Butler, which had 20 turnovers that led to 27 Houston points.