GOODLAND, Kan. – Trailing by 12 with 6:39 remaining in the game, it seemed as if Butler was set to fall in its KJCCC opening game at Max L. Jones Fieldhouse. The Grizzlies flipped the script and overcame the Mavericks lead, winning 76-74 in the final minutes to move to 1-0 in league play.
Facing a 69-57 deficit with 6:39 to go in the second half, Butler (6-1, 1-0 KJCCC) desperately needed to kick it into overdrive to make it a game down the stretch. They did that and more outscoring the Mavericks (3-4, 0-2 KJCCC) 17-5 over the final six minutes to secure the win.
The final 1:30 was a nail biting stretch to endure. Deuce Drake cut to the basket and gave the Grizzlies the 76-74 lead with 1:17 to go. The Mavericks had four chances to tie or win the game in the final 30 seconds after a handful of Grizzly missed shots, a turnover and some deflected balls out of bounds. The last Maverick attempt came with 1.1 seconds left as Taiden Conner had a good look at a corner three but airballed it as the Grizzlies escaped with the win.
Deuce Drake was the driving force in Butler's comeback. He scored a career-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists. 15 of his points came in the second half. Jamichael Stillwell added 19 of his own with 12 coming in the second half. He also snagged eight rebounds. Following Grizzly guard Kaleb Washington being forced to exit the game early in the second half, Khalil Arnold subbed in to play his minutes. Arnold delivered, scoring eight second half points including a floater that put Butler up 74-72 in the final 90 seconds.
The free throw shooting was skewed with the Mavericks taking 15 more free throws than Butler. They were 22-29 (75.9%) from the charity stripe while Butler was 11-14 (78.6%).
The game was knotted up 36-36 at halftime after a back-and-forth opening half. Neither team led by more than four through the first 20 minutes. The Grizzlies got just 11 points off the bench to the Mavericks 30. There were 18 ties and eight lead changes.
Butler moves to 8-1 all-time over the Mavericks and avenges their loss in Goodland a season ago with the win.
Butler returns home on Saturday, Nov. 25, to take on the Seward County Saints at the Power Plant with tipoff set for 4 p.m. CT.
