Saints Mauled by Grizzlies in the Greenhouse

LIBERAL, Kan. – The Seward County Saints men's basketball team (4-2, 0-2) dropped their second straight game Wednesday night and moved to 0-2 in Jayhawk conference play, losing 81-67 to the Butler Grizzlies inside the Greenhouse.  The loss was the result of a season high 28 turnovers.  Ke'Sean Davis led Seward with 13 points on 4 of 11 shooting.  Anthony Thomas, Isiah Small and Hegel Augustin all came one point shy of double-digits.

The game started with a sign of things to come, as Butler (4-1, 1-1) opened up the game drilling two straight threes put Seward in an early 6-0 hole.  Over the next seven minutes the Saints went on a 9-2 run, taking the lead with an Isiah Small put-back layup.

The lead didn't last long however, as a minute and a half later, Tevin Berry buried a three to put the Grizzlies up two.  It would be the last lead change of the game, as the Grizzlies warded off all efforts by the Saints to overcome the deficit.

With 3:09 left in the first half, Marc Combs hit a jump-shot to tie the game at 21, but Russell Smith of Butler had an answer. The Saints would go down four points as they entered halftime, trailing 28-24.

For a second straight game, a defensively poor second half by Seward was a factor in the loss, allowing Butler to score 53 points.

In the first ten minutes of play, the Grizzlies doubled their 28-point first half effort to take a substantial 15-point lead, 58-43.  Butler pushed the lead to as many as 21 with just over two minutes left in the game before the Saints were able to cut into the deficit. Over the next two minute Seward went on a 15-8 run, but it was far too late, as they lost 81-67.

Despite outshooting the Grizzlies 48% to 39.7%, Seward couldn't get over the free throw differential.  The Saints put the Grizzlies on the line early and often, with Butler connecting on 27 of 35 tries.  The Saints meanwhile, hit just 12 of 22 from the charity stripe.

The last time Seward was on the floor, tenacious rebounding on their part kept them in the game against the No. 1 team in the country.  This time however, it was the opposing team who was on the boards, as Butler game away with 14 offensive rebounds.

The Saints will begin a two-game road stretch, traveling to Cloud County on Saturday (Nov. 18) and Barton next Tuesday (Nov. 21) before returning home to take on the Pratt Beavers two days after Thanksgiving (Nov. 25).