Grizzlies Exact Revenge on Saints With Home Victory

EL DORADO, Kan. – The Butler Community College women's basketball team grabbed an eight-point home win over the Seward Saints, 61-53, on Wednesday evening at the Power Plant.

Butler (15-4, 10-4 KJCCC) earned their fourth straight win and split the regular season series with Seward (13-8, 8-7) who defeated the Grizzlies in Liberal earlier this season.

Freshman guard Ashley Singhateh registered her second straight 20-point effort, finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds to go with three steals. Singhateh and fellow freshman Kenzie Galliart, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double, were the only two Grizzlies to score in double figures.

The Grizzlies shot 38% from the field (19-50) with Seward shooting 37.1% (23-62). The Grizzly defense held Seward to just 1-15 from distance with Butler knocking down 4-16 threes. Butler was slightly outrebounded 38-34 as Seward also outscored the Grizzlies 38-24 in the paint. Butler's willingness to drive the ball inside saw them shoot 27 free throws to Seward's eight. The Grizzlies finished 19-27 (70.4%) from the charity stripe.

Seward's Avery Marchino led the Saints with 18 points while Ari Gordon added 17 points, six rebounds and four steals. Allie Myers pulled down 10 rebounds.

Butler's highest scoring quarter was the first as they poured in 19 points shooting 7-16 from the floor, taking a 19-15 lead to the second quarter.

Seward scored the first points of the game on a Kezia Grant-Bobb layup but Butler took a 3-2 lead with 8:21 in the first quarter and Seward did not lead again in the game.

Butler led by as much as seven in the second quarter as sophomore guard Alba Cunill canned a three midway through. Seward battled back to within one point with three minutes in the quarter as well as over the final minute of the half until Singhateh converted two free throws with nine seconds left to give Butler a 33-30 lead at the break.

The third quarter saw the Grizzlies open with a 7-0 run extending the lead to 40-30 three minutes into the quarter capped by a Destiny Smith three. It was Butler's largest of the game. Seward got to within five with three minutes to play in the quarter and neither team scored again until Butler's Mya Mayberry hit a three with five seconds left to send the Grizzlies to the fourth ahead 48-40.

The fourth quarter had a dry spell of scoring for over three minutes until the 4:12 mark when Seward cut the lead to 52-49 on a Kylee Hunt jumpshot. The lead later slipped to two as Marchino hit a jumper but the Grizzlies outscored Seward 8-2 over the final 2:48. Butler made 6-8 free throws over that span to put the game away.

The Grizzlies return to the Power Plant Saturday for a bout with No. 5 ranked Dodge City at 2 p.m.