Butler men move to 10-2 with road win at Neosho
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
38 | 44 | 82 |
|
|
32 | 40 | 72 |
Team Stats
Neosho County
| Game Statistics | Butler | Neosho County |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (29-60) | (23-49) |
| Field Goal % | 48.3% | 46.9% |
| Rebounds | 36 | 34 |
| Assists | 19 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 21 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 31 | 15 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 13 | 7 |
| Bench Pts | 34 | 25 |
The Butler mens basketball team continued its winning ways with an 82-72 road victory at Neosho County on Monday. In addition to a six-game win streak, the victory moved the Grizzlies to 10-2 on the season and matches last year's win total.
Butler received a balanced offensive attack as four players scored in double figures. Bakari Triggs led the Grizzlies with 14 points. LaMont Pruitt scored 12, Trent Richardson had 11 and Eric Watson added 10 in the victory.
Butler used a strong defensive effort to build a 38-32 in the first half, which featured four lead changes and three ties. Trailing 25-17 with under eight minutes before halftime, Butler used a quick 12-0 run in a 2:15 span to jump in front of Neosho. Sean Goodwin opened the run with a field goal, then Eric Watson hit two consecutive three-pointers just 20 seconds apart to tie the game at 25-all. Larry Fitzgerald would give the Grizzlies the lead on a fast-break field goal and Watson added a field goal in the paint at the 5:01 mark.
After Neosho tied the game at 29-29, Butler made a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the half - a 36-29 edge. Fitzgerald drilled a trey from the left wing, which was sandwiched around field goals by LaMont Pruitt and Sean Osler - both coming off of offensive rebounds.
For nearly a 12-minute stretch between the two halves, the Grizzlies held Neosho to just one field goal. A portion of that defensive stretch helped Butler pushed the lead to 13 points, 49-36, with a 11-4 run to open the second half. The 13-point margin would be the Grizzlies' largest lead of the game.
However, Neosho would close within one, 58-57, with 10:02 to play. Butler quickly regrouped with a 10-2 run over a 2:32 span to push the margin back to 10-point cushion. The run included a pair of field goals by Trent Richardson. Over the final 7:30 of the contest, Butler's lead would not fall below six points.
The Grizzly men return home to the Power Plant on Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. non-conference contest against Southwestern JV.
