Story by Wyatt Ebersole
The Butler Grizzlies Women's Basketball team lost for the first time this season on Saturday against Coffeyville 68-60. The loss drops the Grizzlies out of first place in the Jayhawk Conference with a record in KJCCC play now standing at 4-1 and the Grizzlies are now 8-1 overall on the season.
The Grizzlies got off to a very slow start in the game, allowing the Red Ravens to grab an early 17-4 lead midway through the first quarter. The Butler Women would put together a nice trio of three-pointers from Jada Knight, J'unti Franklin, and Randi Harding that cut the Red Raven lead down to 19-13, and the Grizzlies ended the first quarter down by just eight points at 21-13.
Coach Mike Helmer's group was eager to keep battling and they did just that, chipping away at the Red Raven lead until the 3:20 mark of the second quarter when Dayuna Colvin made a driving layup to give the Grizzlies their first lead of the game at 26-25. Coffeyville would end the half making two of the final three baskets and the Red Ravens held a slim 29-28 advantage at the halftime buzzer.
The third quarter was much like the second, Butler and Coffeyville continued to go back-and-forth, both sides trying to gain the edge and keep it. The Red Ravens built a 43-36 lead with four minutes left in the quarter after a Kennady Roach three, but the Grizzlies weren't going to quit. They ended the quarter on a 13-6 run capped off by a Maycee James free throw that tied the game at 49 all at the end of the third.
Coffeyville would ultimately gain the insurmountable edge midway through the final frame as the Red Ravens went on a 9-0 run over the course of two minutes that seemed to put the game away as the Red Ravens led 62-55 with under five to play. Helmer's Grizzlies had some open chances to cut into the Red Raven lead, but the Grizzlies couldn't capitalize, and the Grizzlies fell 68-60 to Coffeyville.
The Grizzlies will have a quick turnaround and will play another rival and tough opponent when #11 ranked Hutchinson comes to El Dorado on Saturday for a 2PM tip. It will be the Grizzlies first home game since November 22nd and the Grizzlies will certainly look to bounce back in front of a big home crowd.
NOTES: The Grizzlies are 12-6 against Coffeyville since 2011, but 3-4 against them since Tony Turner took over as head coach of Coffeyville in 2019 and Butler has lost three of the last four matchups…The Butler Women have not won at Coffeyville since the 2019-20 season…Despite their impressive record, 8-1 is the worst Grizzly record through the first 9 games of a season since the 2019-20 season when they started 6-3…This is the first time this season that Grizzly forward Freddie Wallace did not score double-digit points in a game…Coffeyville's Jordyn Conner scored 23 points in the game, the most points the Grizzlies have allowed in a game to a single player since February 23rd, 2022 when Indy's Ariel West scored 23 on the Grizzlies
