Butler women remain atop East standings with 30-point win over Cloud

The Butler women maintained its one-game lead in the Jayhawk East standings with a 74-44 home win over Cloud County Wednesday night at the Power Plant.

RaVon Nero and Camille Downs led the Grizzlies (18-7 overall, 11-4 conference) by scoring 18 points each, while Tamara Nard added 17 points in the win.

After six lead changes and three ties during a 14-14 first-quarter battler, Butler broke away by scoring 13 straight points to open the second quarter and never looked back. Downs opened the Grizzly run with two free throws and a 3-pointer, then Nero scored six of Butler's next eight points for a 27-14 lead with 5:24 left in the half.

Nero and Downs both scored eight points in the second quarter as Butler built a 38-24 lead at the break.

Cloud pulled within 14 points at 47-33 midway through the third quarter, but a Grizzly 7-0 run started by baskets from Jaelynn McLaurian and Nero increased Butler's lead to 21 late in the quarter.

Butler limited Cloud to just seven points in the final quarter and outscored the Thunderbirds 12-2 over the final 7:30 of play enroute to the 30-point win.

Butler dominated the glass with a 45-31 advantage over Cloud County. Downs was just one rebound shy of a double-double, as she led the Grizzlies with nine rebounds. Both Nero and Nard pulled down eight boards.

The Grizzlies shot 35.3 percent (24-of-68) from the field while limiting Cloud to just 29 percent (18-of-62). Cloud's numbers from the perimeter or the free-throw line were not any better, making just 16 percent (4-of-25) from 3-point land and making only 36.4 percent (4-of-11) at the charity stripe.

Kelsie Kelly scored 11 points to lead Cloud County (9-16, 4-11), who was held to its second lowest output in points on the season, just ahead of a 35-point effort in a 101-35 loss to Hutchinson back on Dec. 11. The T-Birds have now lost 12 of their last 15 games and have dropped three consecutive games.

Butler returns to action Saturday with a road contest at Allen beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Iola. The Grizzlies will be looking for the season sweep of the Red Devils, having won 92-49 back on Jan. 15 in El Dorado.