LIBERAL, Kan. – The Butler men evened their conference record with an 81-67 win at Seward County on Wednesday.
Ketarrious Bouchum scored 22 of his season-high 27 points and pulled down six rebounds in the win for Butler (4-1 overall, 1-1 conference).
Bouchum hit a 3-pointer to start the game, followed by another from Karlon McSpadden, and Butler led 6-0 early on. Seward would come back to take a 9-8 lead, but Butler got a 3-pointer from Tevin Berry to make it an 11-9 game with 10:48 left in the first half and Butler would not trail again.
Seward would tie the game on three different occasions in the remainder of the first half, but Anthony Bratton would hit a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left and Butler would lead 28-24 going to intermission.
Seward would cut Butler's lead to two points at 30-28 before Bouchum scored four straight baskets as part of a 9-1 Butler run.
Butler's biggest lead came when Russell Smith made a free throw that made it a 73-52 game with 2:12 remaining.
In addition to Bouchum's 27, Smith added 16 points and Karlon McSpadden had 11. Antferene Adams scored nine. Smith led Butler with eight rebounds. Sean Ofodile had two blocked shots off the bench.
The Grizzlies will be back on the road on Saturday to take on Barton at 7:30 p.m. in a Jayhawk Conference contest. The Cougars (6-0 overall, 2-0 conference) picked up a 105-92 overtime win over Colby and won 77-74 at Garden City on Wednesday.