Grizzlies Fall Late at Dodge City, Slip to Second in KJCCC Standings

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The No. 19 Butler Grizzlies slipped to second place in the KJCCC standings after an 88–86 road loss to Dodge City on Wednesday night.

Butler (19–9, 15–7 KJCCC) now trails Barton (16–7) by half a game, with the Cougars holding the head‑to‑head tiebreaker after sweeping the Grizzlies in the regular season.

It was a difficult shooting night for Butler, which finished at 33.7 percent from the field and 12‑for‑38 from three. Dodge City shot 43.8 percent overall but just 7‑for‑23 from deep. Conquistador big man Wesley Rosa was a major defensive presence, recording six blocks and consistently altering shots in the paint.

Despite the struggles, Butler led 50–44 at halftime after shooting 39.5 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

The Grizzlies appeared to take control early in the second half, building a 72–60 lead after a corner three from freshman Dominic Pleasants with 11:59 remaining. Dodge City responded with a 9–0 run to pull within three. After a Tristan Hankins three pushed the lead back to nine, the Conquistadors again answered, trimming the margin to 80–78 with under six minutes left.

The final minutes were a back‑and‑forth battle. With the game tied 86–86 and a five‑second difference between the shot and game clocks, Butler missed a three with 4.6 seconds remaining. Dodge City secured the rebound, called timeout, and drew a foul on a coast‑to‑coast drive with 1.4 seconds left. The Conquistadors sank both free throws to seal the 88–86 win.

Freshman guard Tristan Hankins led Butler with 23 points, going 4‑for‑7 from beyond the arc.

Next up: The Grizzlies return home to the Power Plant on Saturday to host Cloud County at 4 p.m.