15th Ranked Butler Skates Past Seward in Low Scoring Affair

EL DORADO, Kan. – It was a tale of two halves for the 15th ranked Butler men's basketball team on Wednesday afternoon at the Power Plant.

Butler (16-4, 11-3 KJCCC) shot just 22.2% from the field in the first half scoring a season-low 21 points but rebounded for a 39-point second half shooting 56.5% (13-23) on the way to a 60-53 win over the Seward Saints (3-17, 2-13).

The Grizzlies were outscored in the paint 34-18 and outrebounded 36-30 but hit nine threes including seven in the second half to get past the Saints. Butler has won two straight while Seward has lost two straight.

Sophomore guard Russell Branch led Butler with 12 points, all of them coming in the second half. He shot 3-8 from three and 3-5 from the free throw line. Freshman forward Devin Kerr joined Branch as the lone other Grizzly to score in double figures with 11 points, nine scored in the second half, shooting 3-3 from three in the half. Kerr also hauled down a team-high six rebounds. Freshman forward Emeka Opurum had eight points, five rebounds and five blocks.

The game had three ties and eight lead changes. Butler's biggest lead of the first half was six multiple times but Seward outscored the Grizzlies 7-2 over the final 2:53 to head to halftime trailing just 21-20.

The Saints jumped out to a 25-22 lead two minutes into the second half. Butler answered a minute later as Kerr knocked down a three to tie the game at 25 and then two possessions later Branch hit his first of the game to make it a 28-25 Grizzly lead. Branch followed that up with another triple and Butler led the rest of the second half with the lead soaring as high as 12 and as low as three in the half. Seward pulled within three as they ripped off a 9-0 run to make it 43-40 Butler at the 6:35 mark but again, Kerr and Branch answered with triples and Butler pulled away.

Seward's Muhammad Jobe tallied 15 points and seven rebounds with 11 points and six rebounds in the second half alone. Benni Kazadi added 13 points and nine rebounds while Kiku Parker had wight points and five assists.

The Grizzlies have won two straight and return to the Power Plant Saturday for a game vs. Dodge City with tipoff set for 4 p.m.