Posted: Feb 20, 2013
CONCORDIA, Kan. – The Butler men's basketball team won its sixth straight game with a 61-57 road win at Cloud County on Wednesday afternoon in Arley A. Bryant Gymnasium.
The game was originally scheduled to start at 8 p.m. but was moved up to 3 p.m. ahead of an anticipated winter storm that caused the postponement of the other three games scheduled in conference play.
Butler is now 22-6 on the season and 10-4 in Jayhawk West Conference action. With the win, Butler is now alone in third place in the conference with a half-game lead over Barton. No. 6 Hutchinson as Seward are tied for first at 10-2.
Butler led early by a 10-5 margin, but Cloud went on an 11-2 run to take an 18-12 lead midway through the half. The Thunderbirds led 25-24 with three minutes to play in the half, but the Grizzlies closed the period on a 9-0 run. Sean Osler hit a pair of 3-pointers and Sean Goodwin came up with a steal at mid court and drove for a layup while getting fouled. He made the free throw to give the Grizzlies a 33-25 lead at the break.
Butler would lead by as many as 11 points early in the second half and led by at least seven most of the period. Cloud would get as close as four points late, but Osler hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to ice the win.
Osler led Butler with 21 points, including making four 3-pointers. It is the second time in the past three games and the second straight road game in which he has ht the 20-point mark. It matches his career high that he set a year ago in a home game against Colby.
Goodwin also had a big game for the Grizzlies, scoring a career-high 18 points. His previous high was 13 points in a win at Hutchinson 10 days ago.
Butler will play its final home game of the regular season on Saturday against Seward, with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. It will be Sophomore Night and members of the 1953 national championship team will be honored.
