A Farewell to Remember: Helmer, Fawcett Celebrate Final Home Win as No. 1 Seed Butler Rolls to Region 6 Semis

EL DORADO, Kan. – It was an emotional night for Butler head women's basketball coach Mike Helmer, who coached his final game in the Power Plant on Tuesday night.

Helmer picked up win number 228 in the Power Plant as the head women's basketball coach for the Grizzlies. His legacy inside the Power Plant is now set in stone, finishing with an extraordinary 228–48 record—an 82.6% winning percentage.

The student body was electric on Tuesday night, fueling the Grizzlies from tipoff to the final horn. With just over a minute left in regulation, the student section erupted into a chant of "Thank you, Helmer," a tribute that continued until the buzzer sounded. An emotional Helmer hugged his players, tears in his eyes, before climbing into the student section, where he was lifted into the air in celebration.

 

 

 

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Butler has been home for Helmer for nearly two decades, a place where he became the winningest coach in program history. Although he will step down as head coach at season's end, he will remain at Butler in his current role as the college's 19th athletic director.

It was also a meaningful night for long-time assistant coach Abby Fawcett, who coached her final game in the Power Plant as well. Fawcett has spent 14 seasons alongside Helmer, helping build a powerhouse that captured six KJCCC regular-season titles, two Region 6 championships, and four NJCAA Tournament appearances. She will step down from coaching after the season but will continue serving Butler Athletics as the Event Manager.

On the court, the top-seeded Grizzlies (30-1) handled business, defeating Garden City 93–62 in the Region 6 quarterfinal. The Broncbusters end their season at 17–14 overall.

After a tightly contested first quarter, Butler blew the game open in the second, outscoring Garden City 29–13 and putting up 47 points in the first half. The Grizzlies kept their foot on the gas in the second half, finishing with 93 points—continuing a dominant stretch since their overtime loss to Garden City in December. Butler has now won 21 straight and beaten Garden twice by a combined 75 points.

Six Grizzlies scored in double figures. Sophomores Ashley Singhateh and Keegan Yarick led the way with 15 points each. Mya Mayberry added 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Aliyah Green scored 12, while Kenzie Galliart recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Elina Syniakova chipped in 10 points off the bench.

Defensively, Butler held Garden City to 37.7 percent shooting, while the Grizzlies posted a season-best 58.1 percent from the field.

Next up: No. 1 seed Butler faces No. 4 seed Coffeyville on Friday at 1 p.m. at Fleske Fieldhouse in Great Bend in the Region 6 Semifinals.