GAMEDAY IN THE GREENHOUSE: Seward County vs. Butler Basketball
GAME PREVIEW:
It's a Top 20 NJCAA matchup tonight here in the Greenhouse as the 16th ranked Seward County Lady Saints and the 19th ranked Butler Lady Grizzlies go head to head in game three of their 19 game 2015-2016 Jayhawk Conference schedule.
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 tonight's battle with Butler 8-2 overall and 1-1 in Jayhawk Conference action after their 74-61 defeat at the hands of Cowley Saturday night in Arkansas City. Seward has been solid on both sides of the ball so far this year, shooting 45% from the field as a team while holding their opponents to just over 30% shooting. The Lady Saints have been led by sophomores Daniela Galindo and Axelle Bernard in the early going. Galindo leads the team at 16.5 points per game including a school record 50 point effort three weeks ago, while Bernard is averaging a double-double on the year with 10.6 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, going into conference action, but a stunning defeat on their home floor in their conference opener has dropped them to 11-2 on the year. 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 in La Junta. The Grizzlies are a relentless bunch on the defensive end, allowing their opponents to shoot just 28% on the year while holding them to under 47 points per game. Offensively, the Grizzlies lean on Tamara Lee and Kyeria Hannah, an inside/out duo combining to average just over 24 points per game on the year.
GAME PREVIEW:
Winners of the past six Jayhawk West Conference Championships, the Seward County Saints and the Butler Grizzlies meet here tonight in the Greenhouse in yet another important early season Jayhawk Conference matchup. A win would put the Saints in a three way tie for first place three games into the conference schedule while a Butler victory would put the Grizzlies in the thick of the race at 2-1.
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 is off to a red hot start to 2015-2016 at 12-1 and has climbed all the way to #15 in the latest NJCAA Top 25 Poll. The Saints 12 wins already this season are just three short of last years season total of 15, with 18 games still left to go. Seward's offense has been nearly unstoppable for opposing defenses this season as Seward is averaging 95.3 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. The Saints downfall has come on the boards where they rank dead last of 15 Region VI teams with just a +1.6 rebound margin per game on the season.
After a slow start in the opening week of action this season, the Grizzlies have caught fire, winning nine straight before a loss to Barton on Saturday to come into tonight 9-4 overall. 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 12.0 points per game while Derrick Byrd and Travis House average 11.5 and 9.4 respectively per night.