DODGE CITY, Kan. – Behind a dominant third-quarter performance and a season-high 13 3-pointers, the Butler women rolled to its second straight Region VI title with an 84-52 win over Barton on Tuesday at United Wireless Arena.
Sophomore guard RaVon Nero scored 27 points on 6-of-10 3-point shooting, while tourney MVP Camille Downs added 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Jaelynn McLaurian pitched in with 13 points on 3-of-3 treys and seven assists.
As the region champion, Butler (25-8) advances to the NJCAA National Tournament with an automatic bid. The 24-team, four-day tourney gets underway from Lubbock, Texas on March 17.
Nero's 27-point performance was a postseason breakout game, as Butler head coach Mike Helmer noted she was moved to the point guard position just four games ago.
"It's been a big adjustment for her, but she's the one that bought in," Helmer said.
"Throughout these games, I had to take over a different role, so I just had to own up to that and continue to play my game," said Nero. "At the end of the day, I just stepped in and knocked down a couple shots."
Up 38-31 at halftime, Butler (25-8) pulled away from the Cougars with a 29-5 run in the third quarter while limiting Barton to just 1-of-12 from the field.
"That was the reward tonight," Helmer said. "For the last six or seven games, this team has bought into defense, but this group likes to score. I was waiting for that breakout moment and we had it tonight. What a better time to have it in the Region VI Championship.
"How fun is that to see them blow up like that in a big game – offensively and play defense," Helmer said. "(It's) one of the best feelings I've ever had."
While Butler shut the Cougars' offense down, the Grizzlies got hot from the field with a 50-percent clip (10-of-20) and made 5-of-9 3-point attempts during the third quarter.
"We were making shots in the first quarter, so all we had to was continue to do what we were doing," said Downs, who averaged 19 points and nine rebounds in three tourney games.
Butler opened the quarter with Jelesa Gross making two foul shots, then Carissa Beck nailed a 3-pointer in the corner. After Barton's Queen Ulabo hit a 3-pointer, the Grizzlies went on a 24-2 run over the final 7:15 of the quarter.
Nero and Downs each scored seven points during the run, with Downs making a 3-pointer in the final minute as Butler built a 69-36 advantage heading into the final quarter.
After a Downs field goal and a McLaurian 3-pointer opened the final quarter, Butler had doubled up Barton 72-36 with 8:54 remaining.
Butler's third-quarter domination on both ends made the competitive first half an afterthought. The Grizzlies jumped out to a 10-4 lead with 3-pointers from Downs and Nero before a 10-0 Barton run put the Cougars up four, 14-10, at the 3:39 mark of the opening quarter.
The Grizzlies responded back with eight consecutive points, with freshman forward Tamara Nard scoring back-to-back baskets in the paint. The two teams exchanged leads before Butler took the lead for good with a 13-3 run, ending with two Nero treys for a 33-25 lead with 2:34 before half.
While Helmer noted the original game plan did not call for perimeter shooting, Butler still connected on 13-of-31 3-pointers for a 41.9 percent clip.
"We actually talked about getting it inside and pound it, but I (told the team) they're going to leave you open based on the scouting report," Helmer said.
The Grizzlies outmuscled Barton on the boards by a plus-10 margin, 51-41, with Nard pulling down 14 rebounds to lead Butler.
Richelle Turney led Barton (18-16 overall) with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Vanessa Oduah finished with 14 points. As a team, the Cougars made just 30.4 percent (17-of-56) and were limited to 21.7 percent (5-of-23) beyond the arc.
Butler becomes the first women's team to win consecutive Region VI titles since Hutchinson won four straight titles from 2012 to 2015. The feat was not lost on Helmer following the Grizzlies' win.
"I personally feel this league is the toughest in the country, just based off numbers alone," Helmer said. "To be able to come into this and do what we did in the second year in the row, it means the world to me, because I know how hard this is. If we play our defense and play our style, I like our chances against anybody."
NOTES: Downs, Nero and Nard represented the Grizzlies on the Region VI All-Tournament team, with Butler and Barton each placing three players on the squad… Butler improves to 2-4 all-time in Region VI championship games – including a 2-1 mark under Helmer.
