Anthony Gorges
Student Sports Media
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Butler Grizzlies men’s basketball team hit the road for their first time this season. Butler traveled to Council Bluffs, Iowa to take on the Iowa Western Community College Reivers in Reivers Arena. Butler came into the game 1-0 after winning their season opener against Kansas Wesleyan JV. The Reivers came into the game 1-1 on the season after competing in the Colby Classic. They defeated Northwest Kansas Technical College 89-70, but lost to Colby Community College 93-73.
The Grizzlies got off to a quick start to open the game. Butler freshman forward Marque English scored the first five points of the game. Butler led 10-2 and forced an early time out from Iowa Western. Butler controlled the pace on defense with their 2-1-2 press as they forced two turnovers in the first couple of minutes.
Caleb Huffman, a guard for the Reivers, was their only sense of offense early in the first half. He finished the first half with eight points on four of five shooting from the field. Mal Pine scored, adding seven down the stretch.
Butler’s stout defense held the Reivers to only scoring underneath the basket. Only one three-point basket was made in the first half for Iowa Western, whereas the Grizzlies hit seven first half threes.
Freshman point guard Javaunte Hawkins, sophomore forward Tracy Jones and sophomore guard Zach Butler were the only players off the bench in the first half. These players combined for 15 bench points and helped Butler extend their lead. At one point in the first half, the Grizzlies held a 17-point lead.
Butler shot over 60% in the first half, helping them take a 41-29 lead into halftime. English led the team with 14 points at half.
The second half was a much different story for the Grizzlies, as the Reivers came out firing early. They scored the first 11 points of the second half, cutting Butler’s lead to only one. Zach Butler scored the first basket for Butler with 15:02 left in the second half, putting Butler up by three, 43-40.
With 12:16 left in the game, Iowa Western took their first lead of the game when forward Alec Spence made a three-pointer putting the Reivers up 53-50.
During the media timeout, athletic trainers checked out Jones, and they discovered a groin injury. As a result, Jones did not return for the rest of the game.
Butler’s defense came to life, forcing a shot clock violation and then sophomore guard Kamron Brice converted on a layup to give Butler the lead back with nine minutes remaining.
Sophomore guard Juwan White received a technical foul with five minutes remaining, and the Reivers made one of two free throws to tie the game at 62. After that point, Butler never got the lead back.
The Grizzlies kept it close the rest of the game and had a chance to tie down the stretch, but Zach Butler could not convert on a contested layup, and a blatant no call on a Grehlon Easter attempted three forced the Grizzlies to foul to extend the game.
Butler lost to Iowa Western 79-73, and their record goes to 1-1 on the season.
“They made a run for about 10 minutes in the second half, and we could never find a way to respond,” Hawkins said. “Our offense just stalled for most of the second half.”
The Grizzlies then travel to the Hesston Classic on Friday, Nov. 8 against Nation Wide Prep, and on Saturday, Nov. 9 against Louisiana Christian Prep.
