Butler Drops Home Game to Dodge City

EL DORADO, Kan. – The 15th ranked Butler men's basketball team lost 87-68 to the Dodge City Conquistadors on Saturday afternoon at the Power Plant.

Butler (16-5, 11-4 KJCCC) had a two-game win streak snapped by the Conqs (9-13, 6-10) while Dodge City defeated its second top-15 team of the week after defeating No. 5 Cowley by 25 on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies shot just 32.9% from the field, shooting 6-31 (19.4%) from distance which is their second lowest mark of the season. Butler turned the ball over 17 times to Dodge City's 11.

Russell Branch scored the first points of the game on a triple and the Grizzlies got out to a 7-2 lead four minutes in as Bubba Leavell hit a jumper. Dodge City took its first lead at 8-7 off a Derrick Rivers layup but the Grizzlies immediately took the lead back on a Kaeson Fisher-Brown layup followed by a Leavell three. Butler held the lead until the 10:16 mark of the first half as Rivers converted another layup. The Conqs did not trail again in the game, leading by as much as 12 in the first half and 24 in the game.

The closest the Grizzlies cut the lead to in the second half was ten. Dodge City opened the half on an 11-4 run to lead 51-32. Butler used a 9-0 run with eight minutes to play to pull within 10 but the Conqs countered with a 10-0 run of their own to go back up 20 and essentially seal the game.

Butler saw Branch and Devin Kerr score 15 points each with Kerr hauling in seven rebounds. Devonte Reed added 11 points, six rebounds and three steals. Emeka Opurum had seven points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Rashad McCormick had seven rebounds off the bench.

Dodge City had six players score in double figures led by Mynor Strong's 18 points. Jayse Boatwright finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Rivers tallied 14 points and eight rebounds. Jamari Gamble added 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.

The loss was Butler's biggest of the season.

The Grizzlies return to action on the road at Barton on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.