Butler Survives Cloud County Rally to Win 93–91 and Stay in Jayhawk Title Hunt
EL DORADO, Kan. – The No. 19 Butler Grizzlies held on for a dramatic 93–91 win over Cloud County on Saturday, surviving a last second three point attempt that hit the front rim as time expired.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
46 | 45 | 91 |
|
|
56 | 37 | 93 |
Team Stats
Cloud County
| Game Statistics | Cloud County | #19 Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (34-65) | (34-70) |
| Field Goal % | 52.3% | 48.6% |
| Rebounds | 37 | 36 |
| Assists | 25 | 23 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 18 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 21 | 24 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 14 | 22 |
| Pts in the Paint | 54 | 32 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 20 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 32 | 33 |
EL DORADO, Kan. – The No. 19 Butler Grizzlies held on for a dramatic 93–91 win over Cloud County on Saturday, surviving a last‑second three‑point attempt that hit the front rim as time expired.
After falling to Cloud 112–87 back on January 14 in Concordia, the Grizzlies entered the matchup looking for payback—and controlled the game from start to finish. Butler led by as many as 13 in the first half and carried a 56–46 advantage into the break. But Cloud refused to go away, surging late to make things tight.
The Grizzlies (20-9, 16-7 KJCCC) appeared firmly in command with a 90–77 lead and just 5:11 remaining. Cloud (17-12, 12-11) responded with a relentless 14–2 run, trimming the margin to 92–91 with 31 seconds left. Forced to foul, the T‑Birds sent freshman guard Tristan Hankins to the line with 13 seconds remaining. Hankins made the first and missed the second, giving Butler a 93–91 lead.
Cloud secured the rebound, advanced the ball, and called timeout with nine seconds left. The T‑Birds held for the final shot, launching a right‑wing three that bounced off the front iron as the buzzer sounded, sealing the Grizzlies' victory.
Cloud outscored Butler 45–37 in the second half and shot 52.3 percent from the field, compared to Butler's 48.6 percent. The Grizzlies went 14‑for‑40 from beyond the arc (35 percent). Cloud held a slight 37–36 edge on the glass and forced 18 Butler turnovers, while committing 16 of their own.
Six Grizzlies scored in double figures, helping Butler produce 33 bench points in the win.
With the victory, Butler moves to 16–7 in Jayhawk Conference play, tied with Barton for first place. With one game remaining, Butler still has a path to win the KJCCC regular‑season title outright: the Grizzlies must defeat Colby on Wednesday, and Barton must fall to Cowley.
Next up: Butler hosts Colby on Wednesday for Sophomore Night at 7:30 p.m.
