GARDEN CITY, Kan. – The Butler women nearly knocked off undefeated 11th-ranked Garden City on the road on Saturday before falling 86-84 in triple overtime.
In a game that took nearly three hours to play, the Grizzlies trailed by as many as seven and led by as many as nine before playing 15 extra minutes after regulation.
Butler took an early lead in the first half but an 8-0 run put the Broncbusters up 16-9 with 12:13 left in the period. Butler would later tie the game at 19-19 and would take a 22-20 lead on a 3-pointer with Bethany Howard with 6:49 to play.
The Grizzlies seemingly took a two-point lead into the half, but Carly Bettencourt's 3-pointer with 50 seconds left in the period was later changed to a two-pointer. Still, Butler led 29-28 at the half.
Butler then dominated the opening minutes of the second half, eventually leading by as many as nine when Jamillah Bonner scored to make it a 41-32 game with 15:12 to play.
Butler's best chance of winning came in the first overtime period when the Grizzlies took a one-point lead with 15.1 seconds to go after a steal of an inbounds pass and layup by Tysia Manuel.
Garden City tried to set up a final shot, but Tahlia Pope was fouled with 1.8 to go. She missed her first free throw but missed the second, sending the game to a second overtime at 69-69.
In that period, Butler trailed the entirety of the period, by as many as five points. But the Grizzlies stayed alive when Samantha Satterlee hit a baseline 3-pointer with one second left in the period to make it 81-81.
Butler, appearing fatigued, turned the ball over several times in the third overtime period and Garden City eventually outlasted the Grizzlies.
Bonner led Butler with 31 points, which is her career high. She also had 12 rebounds for a double-double. Ashlee Ivy had 16 points while Katie Andersen and Samantha Satterlee had 10 poinst apiece.
Butler is now 12-3 overall and 0-1 in Jayhawk West Conference play. The Grizzlies play a home game against 15-0 and No. 2 ranked Hutchinson on Wednesday at the Power Plant.