Butler Stays Atop Jayhawk Standings After 98–87 Victory
EL DORADO, Kan. – The No. 19 Butler Grizzlies defeated the Pratt Beavers 98–87 on Wednesday night, completing the season sweep.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
37 | 50 | 87 |
|
|
56 | 42 | 98 |
Team Stats
Pratt
| Game Statistics | Pratt | #19 Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (34-65) | (36-82) |
| Field Goal % | 52.3% | 43.9% |
| Rebounds | 35 | 46 |
| Assists | 13 | 18 |
| Turnovers | 21 | 18 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 22 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 10 | 21 |
| Pts in the Paint | 58 | 48 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 28 | 49 |
EL DORADO, Kan. – The No. 19 Butler Grizzlies defeated the Pratt Beavers 98–87 on Wednesday night, completing the season sweep.
Butler (15–6, 11–4) and Pratt (6–14, 3–12) met for the second time this season after the Grizzlies claimed a 98–91 win in Pratt on Nov. 25. The rematch produced the same result, though the Beavers came out swinging. Pratt jumped ahead 9–4 in the opening minutes before Butler responded, taking an 11–9 lead at the first media timeout—a lead the Grizzlies never relinquished.
Butler built its largest lead of the night at 91–64 with 5:35 remaining. Pratt closed the game on a 23–7 run, but the Grizzlies' cushion held. Butler's defense limited Pratt's leading scorer, Hunter Vaughn, to just eight points and three turnovers, with all of his scoring coming after halftime.
The Grizzlies forced 21 turnovers and collected 13 steals. Offensively, Butler shot 43.9 percent from the field (36–82) and 10 of 37 from three, while converting 16 of 24 free throws. Pratt shot an efficient 52.3 percent overall but struggled from deep (3 of 15). Butler also won the rebounding battle 46–35 and assisted on 18 of its 36 made baskets.
Sophomore Devin Kerr delivered a monster performance with 22 points and seven rebounds. Xavier Brown added 19 points off the bench on 7‑of‑9 shooting. Tim Walker II and Tristan Hankins each scored 10, with Hankins recording a double‑double (10 points, 12 rebounds). Josiah Kirkwood ran the offense efficiently, finishing with nine points, nine assists, and five rebounds.
With the win, Butler moves retains sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk Conference standings, fully controlling its path the rest of the way.
Next up: The Grizzlies travel to Goodland on Saturday to face the Fort Hays Tech Northwest Tigers. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.
