For the first time this season, the Butler men's basketball team has won five consecutive games and they win their seventh game with at least a 29-point margin of victory.
The Grizzlies defeated Neosho on the road Wednesday night 100-67, trailing for less than a minute in the game.
"We showed some maturity on the road last night," said head Coach Kyle Fisher. "We didn't fall for the "trap game" scenario and overlook a team we have already beaten."
Butler was firing on all cylinders Wednesday night shooting 62% from the floor and 46% from three-point range. Six Grizzlies scored in double figures on the night marking the fifth time this season the Grizzlies have amassed the 100-point threshold.
Neosho was within one at the media timeout in the first half, but a Butler run would give the Grizzlies an 11-point lead at the break. Marque English led the Grizzlies in the first half with 12 points.
When the second half began, eleven points was the closest the Panthers would close the gap as the Grizzlies continued their hot shooting night extending their lead to 26-points at the mid-way point in the second half. That lead would be increased to 35 late in the game and Butler would end it 100-67 to record their twenty-first win of the season.
"We guarded them well for a full 40 minutes," said Fisher. "In the second half we settled in against their zone and got quality looks to extend the lead. We were very balanced offensively again. We are playing good basketball right now leading the league in FG% against and we have shot 56% from the floor in our last three games."
Both Marque English and Javaunte Hawkins scored 20+ in the contest with English leading all scorers with 22 points. Hawkins finished with 21 points on 5 of 8 shooting from deep. Shawn Hopkins chipped in 15 points while teammates Juwan White and Tracy Jones finished with 12 and 11 points respectively.
Butler held the Panthers to 39% shooting from the floor and 2 of 7 from three-point range. The Grizzlies outrebounded Neosho 37 to 22 and forced 15 turnovers and recorded 10 steals.
Butler (21-6, 14-4) is holding firm in second place in the KJCCC East two games behind Cowley (24-3, 16-1) and holding a two-game lead over Coffeyville (20-8, 12-6) with two games left in the regular season.
The Grizzlies will host first place Cowley on Wednesday, February 19th at home at 7:30pm and will travel to Coffeyville the following Saturday, February 22 for the last game of the regular season.
"Wednesday will be a great challenge," commented Fisher on the game against Cowley next week. "Cowley is a fast paced, high powered team. We are at home, against a top 10 team, who has already beaten us, with a chance to secure second place. We are hoping for a great environment in the Power Plant to see two of the very best teams in the Jayhawk go at it."
