Grizzlies Move to 10-0 With 14-Point Win Over Barton

EL DORADO, Kan. – Number three ranked Butler women's basketball has been nothing short of impressive this season, and that continued Saturday afternoon as the Grizzlies defeated the Barton Cougars 55-41 at the Power Plant.

Butler (10-0, 4-0 KJCCC) is now 10-0, the second time in three seasons they have been off to a 10-0 start as they did the same in the 2021-22 season. The Grizzlies put on a defensive clinic on Saturday, holding the Cougars (7-3, 3-2 KJCCC) to just 41 points on 28% shooting from the field.

The game got off to a rocky start for the Grizzlies as they faced a 9-4 deficit just four minutes in. Things turned around quickly though as the defense put the clamps on, allowing just two Barton points over the next 12 minutes as the lead climbed to 24-11 before the Cougars scored again with 3:51 left in the second quarter. Butler went into halftime with a 27-13 lead after allowing just two second quarter points.

The third quarter was the only period Barton outscored Butler, as they did 13-7. The Cougars trimmed the Grizzlies 14-point halftime advantage down to six late in the third quarter. Butler took an eight-point lead to the fourth quarter after J'unti Franklin hit a jumpshot off a Randi Harding assist with two seconds left.

When Barton and Butler meet its always a battle and the Cougars proved t, cutting the Grizzly lead to four with 7:41 to go in the game as Mckenna Vogl made a layup to make it 37-33. Butler outscored Barton 18-8 over the final 7:41 to remain unbeaten on the season.

Freddie Wallace led all scorers with 13 points, her fifth straight game scoring in double figures as she has also landed double-digits in nine of 10 games this season. Five different Grizzlies totaled five rebounds. Harding led with seven assists. J'unti Franklin scored 10 off the bench including knocking down two big threes. Tiana Winn tallied eight points and three rebounds.

A three game losing streak to the Cougars was snapped for Butler with the win. The 41 points the Grizzlies held Barton to was the lowest since 2015.

The third ranked Grizzlies travel to Garden City on Wednesday with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m. CT.