Butler bounces back with thrilling overtime win over Seward County

The Butler Grizzlies bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 93-86 win over Seward, outlasting the Saints in overtime at the Power Plant in El Dorado on Saturday.

Caleb Golden led the Grizzlies with 22 points in the winning effort. Eden Holt was just behind, with 21. It was a great night from the line for Butler, as they went 33-40 from the charity stripe. The free throw performance was enough to overcome a cold performance from three. 

The Grizzlies would need the extra session to secure the victory, in a physical game that featured three technical fouls and 65 free throws combined. The Grizzlies trailed for much of the game, trailing by as many as 11 points in the game, including going into the locker room down nine points. Keyon Thomas hit a three as the Grizzlies gained the lead for the first time with 10 minutes in the second half, but they were down four with less than a minute remaining, before a late rally would tie the game, capped off by Eden Holt's clutch free throws. 

The extra period was all Butler, as they would take the lead early and ride it the entire way for a seven point win. The Grizzlies outscored the Saints 18-11 in overtime to secure their first conference win of the season.

The Grizzlies bench was excellent, as usual, led by Eden Holt's strong performance, the Grizzlies totaled 32 bench points. The Grizzlies also won the battle inside, outscoring Seward in the paint with 38 points and outrebounding the Saints 36-25. The free throws were the biggest factor in the game, though, as the Grizzlies shot 82% from the line, their highest percentage of the season.

The win will improve No. 7 Butler's record to 6-1, and they get back to .500 in conference play with their first win in the loaded Jayhawk Conference. Conference play continues for Butler on Wednesday, as they travel to Goodland to face Northwest Kansas Technical College.