The current version of the Butler women's basketball team is now the most winning in program history, earning its 31st win by beating Cloud County 76-67 in the Region VI Quarterfinals at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita on Wednesday.
Butler, ranked sixth nationally, is now 31-1 on the season, breaking the previous record for wins set by the 1992-93 team that went 30-4. The Grizzlies now advance to the semifinal round of the tournament where they will take on Barton, who knocked off No. 20 Seward County 61-56. Tip-off time will be at 1 p.m. on Friday in Koch Arena.
The Grizzlies, the tournament's No. 1 seed, looked the part from the beginning against Cloud County. Butler scored the first seven points of the game and led 11-2 in the opening minutes.
A 3-pointer by Ashlee Ivy with 12:05 left in the half gave the Grizzlies their largest lead at 23-5. Cloud would twice cut the lead to just 10 points, but Butler outscored Cloud 7-2 in the final minute to take a 43-28 lead at the break.
Butler scored the first five points of the second half, pushing the lead to 20 points when Ashlee Ivy came up with a steal and a layup. She was fouled on the play and made her free throw to make the score 48-28 with 17:48 to play in the game.
Cloud responded with an 11-0 run over the next four minutes, getting within nine at 48-39. Butler stopped the run with a basket by Terryuana Godwin with 13:51 to play.
Cloud continued to surge, getting as close as 52-46 after making a pair of free throws with 9:19 to go. Butler then regained a little breathing room with a 9-2 run. A 3-pointer by Ashlee Ivy followed by a jumper by Godwin made it a 61-48 game with six minutes to go.
Butler eventually pushed the lead back to as many as 17 points. A late flurry of 3-pointers by Cloud cut final margin back to single digits.
Te'era Williams led Butler with a double-double, scoring 23 points with 12 rebounds. She was one of five Grizzlies in double figures. Terryuana Godwin scored 14 points while Teanna Reid scored 12. Ashley Ivy and Ashley Gibson scored 11 points apiece. The only other Grizzly to score was Shayla Williams with five points.
