Grizzly men improve to 2-0 in 81-65 win over Fort Scott

Grizzly men improve to 2-0 in 81-65 win over Fort Scott

TOWANDA, Kan. - The Butler men stayed undefeated after two games with an 81-65 victory against Fort Scott on Saturday at the Circle High School gymnasium.

Semaj Hervey came off the bench to lead the Grizzlies with 16 points, while reserve guard Ketarrious Bouchum added 15 points. Sophomore Johnnathan Lindsey had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while throwing down three dunks in the win.

For the second straight night, Butler (2-0 overall) finished with five players in double-digit scoring. Will Adler added 13 points, including three treys, while guard Jacolby Harris scored 11 points.

Fort Scott held the lead early on in the contest before Butler took over midway through the first half wiht a 7-0 run. Trailing 17-12 with 9:35 before halftime, Harris hit a pair of free throws, then Lindsey electrified the crowd with a dunk off a Ketarrious Bouchum missed jumper. Harris followed with a three-pointer to put Butler up 19-17.

The Greyhounds took back the lead a few minutes later on a Tyler Zinn layup, but Hervey would score seven on his nine first-half points in the final 4:44 of the half - beginning with a layup to retake the lead.

Leading 33-25 at the break, Butler opened the second half with an 8-2 run to build a 14-point lead over the Greyhounds. Fort Scott would eventually cut the lead back to single digts with 9:58 to play, but a LaJuan Hardy trey and a dunk by Ketarrious Bouchum pushed the Grizzlies' lead back to 14.

Butler pushed the margin to 20 with 4:24 remaining on a Bouchum three-pointer, just moments after Lindsey slammed home a reverse double-pump jam on a breakaway.

The Grizzlies will next be in action on Tuesday with another non-conference contest against Tabor College JV. Tipoff from the Circle High School gymnasium in Towanda is at 7:30 p.m.