T-Birds tumble to Grizzlies in Jayhawk East opener

Held to under 60 points for a second consecutive game, the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds tumbled 79-59 to Butler Community College Monday night in Bryant Gymnasium.
Cloud County was coming off a 63-56 home loss to Pratt Community College on Saturday night.
The T-Birds, opening Jayhawk Conference East Division play, struggled to score the basketball again in the loss to Butler.
Cloud County shot 40 percent (22 of 55) from the field in the game to 37 percent (23 of 63) from the Grizzlies, but made just 5 of 20 three-points attempts for 25 percent and 10 of 17 free throws for 59 percent and committed 21 turnovers.
Butler, now 13-4 overall and 6-2 in Jayhawk Conference play, converted those turnovers into 26 points in posting a third consecutive win.
Cloud County suffered a third straight loss to fall to 8-10 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
The T-Birds will be on the road at Coffeyville on Wednesday for a third game in five days.
The game was tight throughout the first 18 minutes with neither team leading by more than four points.
Cloud County took its first lead of the game at 15-14 on a three-point play by Iyen Enaruna with 8:08 to play in the first half.
Enaruna finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.
There would be five lead changes in less than four minutes of play.
A three-point basket by Marque English would put Butler on top to stay, 24-22.
A basket by Shawn Hopkins and four straight points by Grehlon Easter extended Butler's lead to 30-22.
Cloud County went more than four points without scoring before a bucket by Jay Lewis made it a 30-24 game.
English hit two free throws, and the Grizzlies led 32-24 at halftime.
The T-Birds turned the ball over 14 times in that first half.
Easter scored the first two points of the second half to put Butler up 34-24.
Lewis answered with a three-point basket, and Cloud County trailed just 34-27.
A three by Easter put the Grizzlies back up by 10 points, 37-27.
Ty Duin knocked down a shot to pull the T-Birds within eight points, 37-29.
The two teams exchanged three-point baskets, one by Easter for Butler and then one by Dyelan Reed for Cloud County, and it was 40-32.
The Grizzlies would push the lead to 14 points, 49-35.
Cloud County got back within 10 points, 49-39, on a basket by Enaruna with 10:37 to play.
A three-point play by Hopkins and three-point baskets by Marque English and Javaunte Hawkins gave Butler a 58-39 advantage.
The T-Birds would get no closer than 15 points over the final 8:58.
Lewis led Cloud County with 13 points. He was 4 of 12 from the field and three of four from the free throw line.
Reed finished with 12 points on five of eight shooting.
Butler had four players score in double figures led by Easter with 20 points.
Hopkins tossed in 16 points.
Hawkins and English added 14 points each.