CHANUTE, Kan. – The Butler men needed a road win to earn a home playoff game next week and they got it with some late-game dramatics, holding off Neosho 94-91 on Saturday night.

A three-point play converted by Shomari Triggs gave Butler the late lead and a blocked shot with time winding down by Trent Richardson allowed the Grizzlies to escape with the win. The victory assures the Grizzlies a third-place finish in the Jayhawk East standings and a first-round home game to start the playoffs next Saturday night.

Butler fell behind by two points early in the game, but tied the game at 9-9 on a bucket by Sean Goodwin with 17 minutes to play in the first half. The Grizzlies would not trail again in the first half, although Neosho did tie the game once at 22-22.

The Grizzlies briefly led by as many as nine points after a 3-point shot by Shomari Triggs with three minutes to play, but Neosho would use an 8-1 run to get as close as two points. Bakari Triggs hit a 3-pointer to put Butler back up 42-37 late in the half and the Grizzlies led 47-43 at the intermission.

Neosho would quickly trim that deficit and eventually take a 58-53. Butler would then respond with a 15-0 run, turning that deficit into a 68-58 lead. Butler would go up by as many as 12 points when Larry Fitzgerald scored to make it 73-61 with 10:49 to play.

Neosho wouldn't go away, however, and later used an 8-0 run to get back in the ballgame. The two teams would trade the lead several times in the final two minutes, but the Grizzlies took the lead for good when Shomari Triggs scored a layup and was fouled with 24.5 seconds to play. He was fouled and made it free throw to put Butler up 92-91.

Neosho would have one more chance, working the ball into the low block to 7-footer Joe Acuil, but his shot was blocked by Butler's Trent Richardson, which turned into a transition bucket by Bakari Triggs with one second left that gave the Grizzlies their winning margin.

Shomari Triggs led Butler with 25 points and also had a team-high seven assists. Larry Fitzgerald and Sean Goodwin scored 14 points apiece. Bakari Triggs had 12 points and Lamar Wofford-Humphrey had 11 for the Grizzlies.

Butler finishes the regular season with a 21-9 record and a 7-5 mark in conference play. Butler's playoff opponent has yet to be determined, but will likely be either Barton, Pratt, Garden City or Cloud County.