After moving back into the NJCAA rankings this week, the Butler women gutted out a defensive battle for a 52-47 home victory over Pratt to move into first place in the Jayhawk East on Wednesday.
The 25th-ranked Grizzlies (12-5 overall, 5-2 conference) overcame an offensive lull in the first half and rallied with a key 13-2 run midway through the second half for the victory.
"I am really disappointed with how we played and the way we acted, but I am proud about how tough we were to show some fight to finish it out," said Butler head coach Mike Helmer. "We were showing some toughness defensively tonight by holding someone to 40 points like we use to."
Butler's RaVon Nero scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half, including nine during the Grizzlies' key second-half run as Butler recorded its 23rd straight win over the Beavers (10-5, 4-2). With the victory, Butler moved one game ahead of Coffeyville, Cowley and Independence – all sitting at 4-3 and tied for second place in the East standings.
"(Coach) Helmer told us to stay composed and that it starts on defense," Nero said. "We have to start our defense to get our offense going and once our defense got going we started getting shots."
Butler took an early 16-8 lead during the opening quarter, which turned out to be the Grizzlies' largest lead of the contest. Pratt opened the game with a Dymond McElrath 3-pointer on its opening possession, but Butler held the Beavers without another field goal for a 7:55 stretch.
The Grizzlies answered McElrath's trey with three field goals in the paint – two baskets from Camille Downs and a Nero lay-in for a 6-3 advantage. With 3:26 remaining in the quarter, Jelesa Gross scored six straight points in a 1:04 span – beginning with a made basket on a foul. She added the bonus shot, then made 3-of-4 free throws for a 12-5 Butler lead.
Pratt's Jaylyn Taylor made the Beavers' second field goal of the quarter at the 1:32 mark of the quarter, but two free throws by Zayda Perez and a Nero steal and lay-in with 49 seconds remaining gave Butler the 16-8 lead.
"During that run, we did some nice things early to get those 16 points, but then after that we became selfish," Helmer said.
Nero's basket would be Butler's last until the 2:57 mark of the second quarter, as Pratt made a 14-1 run to grab a 22-17 lead. Jaelynn McLaurian single-handedly broke the Grizzlies' offensive woes with seven straight points in three straight possessions, beginning with a short jumper in the paint. McLaurian added an offensive putback on a Nero miss, then drained a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 24-22 Grizzly lead.
Pratt regained the lead with an 8-2 run before half, as the Beavers received 3-pointers from Rachel Tippins and Hope Moon enroute to a 30-26 advantage at the break.
Butler and Pratt exchanged leads in the third quarter, with the Grizzlies grabbing a 32-31 edge behind baskets from Downs, Nero and Gross within the opening three minutes.
After a Pratt 5-0 run, Nero jumpstarted Butler's key 13-2 run with a lay-in on a Maddy Willis-Rosa assist, then Nero assisted on a Maddie Livingston layup. Nero put the Grizzlies back in front with driving basket just 51 seconds remaining in the third quarter, as Butler took a 38-36 lead into the final stanza.
Nero helped Butler pad its lead to 45-38 early in the fourth with a 3-pointer from the far corner, then assisted on a Beck layup on consecutive possessions. Pratt climbed back within two with 5:41 remaining, but the Grizzlies' defense limited the Beavers to just one field goal for the remainder of the contest while Butler made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 4:02.
"You got to execute really, really well to beat Pratt," Helmer said. "They are a tough team and that coach really has them playing well."
Butler hit 36.7 percent (18-of-49) from the field and held Pratt to 30.4 percent (17-of-56). The Beavers also struggled from the free-throw line, making just 42 percent (8-of-19).
"I think both teams struggled offensively," Helmer added. "Pratt is better offensively and we are much better offensively than we showed tonight but both teams are physical and really got after it defensively. I thought both teams were solid on defense."
Butler returns to action Saturday with an afternoon road contest at Garden City at 2:00 p.m. The Broncbusters (6-9, 1-5) have already gone through a coaching change after head coach Omega Tandy on administrative leave, then resigned before the winter break. Garden picked up their first conference win under interim head coach Mike Harding on Wednesday with an 84-74 road win over Neosho County.
The Grizzlies will also face Cloud County in Concordia on Monday before returning home to host Allen on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. in the Power Plant.
