Indianapolis, IN -- (Sports Network) - Mike Green totaled career highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds as 12th-ranked Butler saved an at-large bid for a bubble team by winning the Horizon League's automatic bid with a 70-55 victory over Cleveland State.

The Horizon League is a one-bid league after the upstart Vikings (21-12) ran out of steam down the stretch. Green had plenty to do with that, making 11- of-13 from the charity stripe and 6-of-13 from the floor.

Matt Howard added 16 points and Drew Streicher donated 11 for the Bulldogs (29-3), who won their first conference tournament crown since 2001 despite 1- of-5 shooting and just five points from sharpshooter A.J. Graves

J'Nathan Bullock carried Cleveland State with 21 points and nine rebounds. Starter Cedric Jackson was lost to an ankle injury with 18:47 left in the second half after scoring just four points and committing six turnovers.

The Bulldogs, playing for hardware and seeding position, looked like the hungrier team in the early going. Howard's layup capped a 7-0 start to the contest, and Streicher's three made the score 20-6 in favor of the Bulldogs with 13:24 remaining in the first half.

Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters put in a few fresh bodies and the defensive intensity improved. With that came easier shots on the offensive end and a slow, but steady Vikings scoring stretch. Joe Davis' three-point play cut the deficit to 25-21 and a three-point play by Bullock made it a 30-27 game with 5:14 to play in the half.

Jackson's two free throws squared the contest at 34-34 with 1:50 remaining in the half, and Butler held just a 38-34 edge after 20 minutes of action.

The injury to Jackson occurred with the Bulldogs holding a 40-34 edge, and the Vikings never fully recovered. D'Aundray Brown's layup cut the deficit to 43-41, but a pair of Howard free throws capped an 8-0 spurt for a double-digit lead with 10:36 remaining.

Zach Hahn's three-pointer pushed the edge to 60-44 with 6:11 on the clock, and the Bulldogs cruised to victory from there.

Game Notes

Jackson scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the semifinal victory over Valparaiso. He was the club's second leading scorer during the season at 14.3 points per game...The Bulldogs now hold a 23-6 lead in the all-time series...The Vikings made just 2-of-16 from beyond the arc, while the Bulldogs drained eight treys.