No. 16 Butler Sweeps Cowley for First Time Since 2022-23 Season

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. – The No. 16 ranked Butler Grizzlies swept the Cowley Tigers for the first time since the 2022-23 season after Saturday's 106-94 win from William S. Scott Gymnasium. 

After the win, the Grizzlies (19-8, 15-6 KJCCC) remain in first place in the Jayhawk Conference standings with a half a game lead over the Barton Cougars. Cowley falls to 17-10 (12-9 KJCCC).

After leading Cowley by as many as 21 in the first half, and 58-39 by halftime, Cowley opened the second half on an 8-0 run to cut the Grizzly lead to 11. Cowley again trimmed the deficit, cutting the Butler lead to single digits with 14:03 to go in regulation. 

After the Grizzlies managed to get the lead back to double-digits, Cowley made a big three with 3:25 to go to get back within eight. The Grizzlies responded immediately after a three from freshman Xavier Brown only 10 seconds later. 

With a minute and a half to go, with Cowley trailing by only seven, a Grizzly turnover gave the ball back to Cowley to give them a chance to cut into the lead even more. But after a turnover of their own, freshman Jaise Combs hit a huge three from the corner to get the lead back up to 10, 99-89. 

The Grizzlies made some key free throws down the stretch to put the game out of reach and win in Arkansas City for the first time since January 7^th, 2023. 

Brown led the way offensively for the Grizzlies, leading the squad with 21 points off the bench. Five other Grizzlies scored in double-figures: Devin Kerr with 15 points, Josiah Kirkwood 13 points, Jaise Combs with 11, and Tim Walker II and AJ Pierre-Jerome each finishing with 10. 

As a team, the Grizzlies shot 45.1 percent from the floor and were 10 of 26 from behind the arc. Cowley shot 41.9 percent from the field while going seven of 24 from three. Both teams made it to the foul line often, with Butler going 32 of 44, while Cowley went 25 of 36. 

Cowley had 25 turnovers on the afternoon. Cowley's defense tightened up in the second half, going with a full-court press of their own and forced 14 second half Grizzly turnovers (22 for the game). 

Next up: The Grizzlies will be back on the road on Wednesday to take on the Dodge City Conquistadors, who are only two games back from first place at 7:30 p.m.