The Butler Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth quarter for the second straight game, ending the fall semester with a 67-53 win in Great Bend against the Barton Cougars on Monday.
The Grizzlies, ranked 20th in the nation, improved to 12-2 overall, and 7-2 in KJCCC play on the year, and improved their winning streak to two.
The Grizzlies were led by Syncere Harrod's 17 points off the bench. She scored 14 of those points in the second half and was integral to the Grizzlies pulling away. Butler outscored Barton 38-22 in the second half and a clutch 19-7 fourth quarter secured the victory, after just a two point lead going into the locker room.
Mekayla Furman was her usual self, finishing just short of Harrod with 16. Jalia Harding was the only other Grizzly who finished with double figures, scoring 11. The Grizzlies found six threes, finishing at 31% from the field and shooting 33% from behind the line. Butler was helped by 16 assists, led by Kamiyah Lyons with five. Butler found 32 points from bench players, and 24 points in the paint.
Defensively, the biggest stat of the game was the way the Grizzlies defended from three point range. Barton finished just 14% from deep, a measly 5-34. Butler also forced 16 turnovers and scored 24 points off of takeaways. The two teams tied on the glass, both teams ending with 45 rebounds.
The victory avenged a defeat for the Grizzlies in the Region VI final last year which saw the Cougars narrowly defeat Butler at Friends University.
The Grizzlies will end the fall semester with the victory tonight, and will return to play in 2022 with a game against Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa on Tuesday, January 4th, at the Power Plant.