After losing their first game of the season Saturday night, the Butler women's basketball team (14-1, 13-1) got back in the win column Monday night with a 65-57 win over the Cloud County T-Birds.
It was a much closer game than the first meeting three weeks ago that saw Butler winning by 29-points. This time the T-Birds had the Grizzlies number for a good part of three quarters, but it was the inside game of Tamara Nard that would put it away in the final minutes.
Butler got off to another slow start, eerily similar to the start Saturday night in the Grizzlies loss. It was tied up at 12 all after the first with the Grizzlies shooting just 22% in the quarter. They finally settled into their groove in the second and shot 59% to take a 33-26 lead into the break.
Cloud would begin the quarter with an 11-3 run to tie the game up with 5:35 left in the third. They took their first lead of the second half 38-37 with 4:53 but a Maddie Livingston layup would quickly give it back to Butler. There would be six more lead changes through the final quarter and a half. Butler tied it up at 50-50 off a Cameren Downs free throw and a Skyla Knight layup would give Butler the lead once and for all. Nine points from Skyla Knight in the final minutes would put it away with the Grizzlies escaping the T-Birds upset bid winning 65-57.
There were ten total ties and 12 lead changes in the contest with Cloud never leading by more than one while Butler led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter. For the first time this season Butler did not make a three-pointer finishing 0-8.
Skyla Knight led Butler with 22 points, five assists, three steals and three rebounds. She was a perfect 8-8 from the Free throw line. Tamara Nard was the other Grizzly in double figures posting another double-double 16 points and 13 rebounds. She had five blocks a steal and an assist.
NEXT UP: Butler (14-1, 13-1) will enjoy the week and prepare for the Independence Pirates as they host them on Saturday, March 22 at 5:30pm.
NOTES: Haven't lost to Cloud Count since February 14, 2017… First game this season without a three pointer (0-8)…Second consecutive game allowing 30+ % shooting.
