The Butler Grizzlies fell in the last game of the regular season in Independence on Wednesday, losing to the Pirates, 86-78.
Butler drops to 22-8 on the year and 16-8 in conference play and will be the third seed in the Region VI tournament. They will play the winner of the Independence/Cowley game next Tuesday at 7:00pm at the Power Plant.
Independence used a hot shooting night to win this one. The Pirates finished a healthy 57% from field goal range and made 11 of their 21 three point attempts to secure the win. The Pirates used a 50 point second half to come up clutch down the stretch.
Isaiah Williams led the Grizzlies with 17 points, with five players scoring double figures. The Grizzlies shot 50% from the field, but it just was not enough.
Despite the loss, Butler still secures afirst round bye and home court advantage in the Region tournament, playing in the Power Plant where they were 14-2 during the regular season. A win will punch their ticket to the semi finals in Salina on March 4.