GAMEDAY IN THE GREENHOUSE: Seward County vs. Butler Jayhawk Opener
The grueling 19 game Jayhawk Conference schedule begins tonight in the Greenhouse as the #8 Seward County Lady Saints host the red hot Butler Lady Grizzlies in the two teams league opener.
Despite the rivalry heating up in recent years, Seward has dominated the series between the two, holding a 51-21 all-time advantage. Butler has won two of the past three meetings between the Lady Saints and Lady Grizzlies, but prior to that, the Seward had won 26 straight against Butler. Last season Seward and Butler split their season series, each winning on one another's home floor. The Grizzlies win here in the Greenhouse marked their first victory in Liberal since the 1995 season, breaking a 19 game Seward win streak at home against Butler.
Seward comes into conference action tonight 7-1 overall. The Lady Saints will play tonight for the first time in nine days after a pair of blowout wins in the Billy's/Days Inn Classic on November 20-21 here in the Greenhouse. Seward has been solid on both sides of the ball so far this year, shooting 46% from the field as a team while holding their opponents to just under 30% shooting. The Lady Saints have been led by sophomores Daniela Galindo and Axelle Bernard in the early going. Galindo leads the team at 16.6 points per game including a school record 50 point effort three weeks ago, while Bernard is averaging a double-double on the year with 11.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Butler might have had a more impressive non-conference resume than any other team in the Jayhawk Conference, coming into tonight as the only 10 win team in the league at 10-1. The Grizzlies picked up a big win over State Fair early in the season and have two wins over Region IX power Otero including a 91-43 thumping of the Rattlers Tuesday in La Junta. The Grizzlies are a relentless bunch on the defensive end, allowing their opponents to shoot just 27% on the year while holding them to under 45 points per game. Offensively, the Grizzlies lean on Tamara Lee and Kyeria Hannah, an inside/out duo combining to average just over 23 points per game on the year.
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The Seward County Saints and Butler Grizzlies kick off a new era of Jayhawk Conference basketball tonight in the Greenhouse as the two play the opening game of 19 league tilts in the Jayhawk's new 'Super Conference'. There is no more Jayhawk East and no more Jayhawk West, it is 14 teams vying for one conference title in 2015-2016.
The Saints have had trouble with the Grizzlies in the past couple of years, with their last win against Butler all the way back in February of 2013. However, the Greenhouse has been a tough place for the Grizzlies to pick up wins as Butler's last victory in Liberal before last seasons sweep came during the 2008-2009 season.
Seward County enters Jayhawk Conference action as one of two 10 win teams in the non-conference. The Saints did have a much lighter non-conference slate than usual, playing just three NJCAA opponents, but in those three contest, Seward was able to pick up quality wins over #4 South Plains and Frank Phillips, with their only loss coming to a very talented Midland team by four here in the Greenhouse. The Saints offense has been nearly unstoppable for opposing defenses this season as Seward is averaging 97.7 points per game which currently ranks 12th in the country while leading the Jayhawk Conference. The wheels behind that well oiled machine are veterans Niem Stevenson, Charles Beauregard, and Marcus Mathieu. Stevenson leads the conference and ranks in the top 10 nationally at 23.3 points per game while Beauregard and Mathieu each average over 15 points a night which makes Seward one of just two teams in the league to have three players averaging 15 or more per game.
After a slow start to the season, Butler has won eight straight coming into tonight, but like the Saints, have seen just three NJCAA opponents during that stretch. The Grizzlies have fought through a rash of key injuries in the early going thus far, watching top returners Chris Howell and Jacolby Harris both succumb to injuries that will likely cost them the year. They have a balanced attack offensively with three players averaging double figures on the year. Caelan Neal leads them at 11.5 points per game while Derrick Byrd and Travis House average 11.2 and 10.1 respectively per night.