GREAT BEND, Kan. – The Butler men's basketball team opened the season with a pair of victories at the Highland Hotel/Pizza Hut Classic hosted by Barton. The Grizzlies opened the season with a 125-75 victory over Raleigh Prep on Friday and then defeated Fort Scott 73-58 on Saturday.

The Grizzlies are now 2-0 on the season and will be off until playing at No. 4 Hutchinson next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

BUTLER 125, RALEIGH PREP 75

The game was started behind schedule due to transportation problems that slightly delayed Raleigh Prep's arrival. Butler was slow to react once the game got going, falling behind 5-0 in the opening minute.

Butler responded to lead by as many as 30 points in the first half, taking a 62-34 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Butler would hit the century mark on a 3-pointer by Dominique O-Connor with 10 minutes left to play.

The 125 points scored are the second-highest total for a Mike Bargen team, trailing only to the 130 Butler scored in a win over Friends JV to open the 2006 season season.

Trent Richardson led all scorers with 29 points on the night. He was 10-14 from the floor including 3-5 from 3-point range. He was one of six Grizzlies in double figures.

BUTLER 73, FORT SCOTT 58

Butler again trailed in the first half, but the game against Fort Scott was much closer than the season opener. It wasn't until the Grizzlies went on a 9-2 run over the final four minutes of the first half, keyed by seven points from freshman Reed Rowell, that the Grizzlies were able to pull away.

Butler led 40-31 at the break and continued to surge in the second half, building the lead to as many as 17 points at 58-41.

Shomari Triggs had 17 points and Trent Richardson had 14, putting both players in double figures in both games.