Tyler Godwin
Student Sports Media
The Grizzlies trailed Neosho by double digits in the second half before rallying back for a 82-62 win over the Panthers on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the Power Plant. The Grizzlies outscored Neosho 58-31 in the second half.
Neosho scored the first seven points of the game before Butler stormed back to take 17-16 lead off an alley oop dunk by freshman Tyrone Coley on an assist from freshman Daviyon Dennis with 12:58 to play in the first half.
Butler’s biggest lead of the first half came at 20-18 after a layup by freshman Immanuel Allen with 10:59 left in the first half. The Grizzlies would then go more than seven minutes before scoring again. In the meantime, Neosho scored 11 straight to take a 29-20 lead and the Panthers went into halftime up 31-24.
Neosho scored the first four points of the second half and pushed its lead to 35-24 with 19:26 left in the game.
Butler still trailed 47-41 with 13:40 to play before the Grizzlies began to rally. Butler scored 14 straight points from Allen and freshman Mohamed Fofana during that stretch.
That was part of a 25-5 run for Butler. When freshman Jon’il Fugett made a pair of free throws with 2:17 left, Butler led by 20 for the first time at 79-59.
“We didn’t do very good taking care of the ball in the first quarter,” Head Coach Bryan Miller said. “We emphasized ball security at halftime and that gave us a big edge in the comeback”.
Allen led Butler with 23 points. It is his third game in the past four with 21 or more points, averaging 19 points a game in that stretch. Dennis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Brice had 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Fugett added 10 points as well.
Butler improves to 15-12 on the season, ensuring the team will finish .500 or better on the season. The Grizzlies are 8-10 in Jayhawk East Conference play. Butler will be off this weekend and will return Wednesday with a road game at Cowley before playing the final game of the regular season at home against Coffeyville on Saturday, Feb. 23.