DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Butler men finished the regular season with another road win, beating Dodge City 56-53 in a thriller at the United Wireless Arena on Wednesday night.
The Grizzlies' win puts them at 23-7 on the season and 11-5 in the Jayhawk West, good for fourth place in the conference, including a 6-2 record in conference road games. By finishing in the top four, the Grizzlies will host a first-round Region VI playoff game on Saturday. Butler will play Neosho at 7:30 p.m. in the Power Plant.
Butler had to battle to beat Dodge City, avenging an earlier loss. The Grizzlies led by five early in the game, but the Conqs eventually took the lead late in a back-and-forth first half and led 25-22 at halftime.
Dodge City scored first in the second half, but the Grizzlies scored five straight points to tie the game and took the lead on a layup by Ja'ln Williams with 17:11 to play. Butler would eventually push its lead to as many as seven points after a basket by Larry Fitzgerald with 7:50 to play.
Dodge City wouldn't go lightly. The Conquistadors would go on a 6-0 run and take a 49-48 lead after a free throw by Delvon Rencher with 3:52 to go in the game. That's when Shomari Triggs scored back-to-back buckets to put Butler back in front.
After a Dodge City basket, Shomari Triggs again put Butler in front with a bucket, this time for good with 1:12 to play. Dodge City would turn the ball over two times in the closing minutes and missed a 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.