HUTCHINSON, Kan. - In a battle of nationally-ranked rivals, No. 10 Hutchinson held off No. 21 Butler by a 74-59 score on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.
Butler never led in the contest, but the game was tied three times early before Hutchinson closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run, taking a 25-11 lead.
Butler surged to start the second quarter, scoring the first five points as part of a 13-2 run. After a Dakota Vann 3-pointer, the Grizzlies trailed 27-24 with with 5:50 to go in the half.
Hutchinson answered with a run of its own, outscoring Butler 15-3 to build its largest lead of the half at 42-27.
Butler scored the final six points of the half, including a 3-pointer by Alecia Gulledge at the buzzer, to make it a 42-33 game at intermission.
The Grizzlies then scored the first four points of the third quarter and were back within five points at 42-37 before Hutch once again surged ahead. Butler trailed 60-46 going to the fourth quarter.
Dakota Vann led Butler with 14 points, with 12 of them coming in the first half. Nakylia Carter was the only other Grizzly in double figures with 10. Kirea Rogers led Hutchinson with 21 points.
Butler sees its five-game winning streak come to an end and falls to 8-3 on the season, 5-3 in Jayhawk Conference play. Hutchinson is now 9-1 (7-1 KJCCC).
The Grizzlies will be on the road on Sunday for their final game of the first semester, taking on Cloud County in Concordia with a 2 p.m. tipoff.
