Butler Men's Basketball Rallies Past Barton to Claim Region 6 Championship, Punch Ticket to NJCAA Tournament

GREAT BEND, Kan. – The No. 2 seed Butler Grizzlies stormed back from an 11‑point halftime deficit to defeat the top‑seeded Barton Cougars 111–103, capturing their first Region 6 Championship since 2022–23 and securing an automatic berth to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament.

The win marks Butler's seventh Region 6 title in program history and the first under second‑year head coach Eric Nitsche. The Grizzlies improve to 24–9 overall, while Barton falls to 24–9. Butler will learn its national tournament seeding during Monday's selection show at 5 p.m. The NJCAA Tournament will be held March 21–28 in Hutchinson.

Barton controlled most of the first half, leading by as many as 13. After Butler trimmed the margin to eight, Barton's Brian Sullivan Jr. drilled a three with eight seconds left to push the Cougars' lead to 48–37 at the break. The Grizzlies struggled mightily from the field early, shooting just 15‑for‑51 (29.4%) and 5‑for‑28 from deep in the opening half.

Butler quickly cut the deficit to four early in the second half, though Barton responded to stretch the lead back to 11 entering the under‑16 timeout. From there, the Grizzlies steadily chipped away, finally taking their first lead at 74–73 with 9:22 remaining—a lead they would never surrender. Butler built its largest advantage at 97–87 with 4:10 left following a basket from freshman standout Tristan Hankins.

A pivotal moment came with 50.2 seconds remaining. Leading 100–95, Butler inbounded under Barton's basket. A deflected pass to Josiah Kirkwood resulted in a loose ball out of bounds, initially ruled in Butler's favor. Barton head coach Jeremy Coombs vehemently disputed the call, ultimately receiving a technical foul and being ejected. Butler's Dominic Pleasants made one of two free throws, extending the lead to 101–95. The Grizzlies then sealed the game by going 10‑for‑12 from the line in the final 40 seconds, winning the Region 6 Championship on Barton's home floor.

Despite shooting only 34.5% from the field compared to Barton's 45.1%, Butler attempted 24 more shots and knocked down 13 threes on 50 attempts. The Grizzlies dominated the offensive glass with 26 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Barton 55–52 overall. Butler also forced 19 turnovers, converting them into 21 points.

Freshman guard Tristan Hankins delivered a phenomenal performance, scoring 35 points on 10‑for‑22 shooting and 13‑for‑17 from the free‑throw line while adding 13 rebounds for a double‑double. Forward Devin Kerr added 18 points on 6‑for‑10 shooting. Freshman Jaise Combs scored 17, and sophomore Josiah Kirkwood contributed 13 points and nine rebounds.

Barton's Aris Rodriguez led all scorers with 37 points in the loss.