T-Birds tumble to No. 19 Grizzlies

EL DORADO — In a battle of the top two defensive teams in the Jayhawk Conference, it was the 19th-ranked Butler Community College Grizzlies who were able to hold off the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds 63-50 Wednesday night in the Power Plant.
Cloud County led the conference in fewest points allowed (58.6) and Butler was second (61.8).
The Grizzlies limited the T-Birds to just 30 percent (16 of 53) shooting, including 18 percent (4 of 22) from three-point range.
Butler led the game 32-21 at halftime.
Cloud County got as close as eight points in the second half but was unable to chase down the Grizzlies.
"I guess it is always bound to happen, but it is the first game in a while that we were a half a step slow. We lacked the pop that we have had," Cloud County coach Devin Kastrup said. "We could never get it going. We were a half a step slow to everything on both ends. And against a team that guards like they do, just like we do, you can't do that. That is what we do against other teams when they are a half a step slow."
The loss halted the T-Birds' three-game winning streak. They are now 12-5 overall and 7-4 in conference play.
Picking up its fourth straight win, Butler improves to 14-3 overall and 9-2 in the conference.
The game was tied twice in the early going.
It was knotted at 7-7 when Butler got a three-point basket by Anthony Williams and a bucket by Jaquez Thornton to go on top to stay, 12-7.
It was a 19-16 game when Williams and Kaleb Washington connected on consecutive threes to push Butler's lead to 25-16.
Cloud County got within six points, 27-21, but did not score the final 3:26 of the half.
Knocking down five of six free throws over the final 2:15 of the half, Butler made it a 32-21 game.
A three by Abdoulaye Fall early in the second half cut the Cloud County deficit to eight points, 32-24.
Fall led the T-Birds with 18 points. He was 6 of 12 from the field and grabbed five rebounds.
Butler scored the next five points, and led 37-24.
Kyle McElroy scored for Cloud County, but the Grizzlies answered with a three by Williams to take their largest lead at 40-26.
Williams was 5 of 12 from three-point range in scoring 17 points for Butler.
Cloud County chipped away at the Grizzlies' lead and closed the gap to 48-40 when Fall followed up a missed shot with 5:13 remaining in the game.
Thornton scored for Butler and the T-Birds got a bucket by Ja'Ron Briggs Jr. to make it 50-42.
The T-Birds had a chance to pull closer, but McElroy missed on the front end of a one-and-one opportunity.
"We got it down to eight a couple of times and we had chances to get it lower, and we just never did. And again, it was like we were lacking the pop. We were lacking that gear to get us over the hump," Kastrup said.
Butler outscored Cloud County 6-2 over the next two minutes to go on top, 56-44.
The T-Birds could get no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
"We just never made that one more play," Kastrup said.
Briggs Jr. finished with 12 points and five rebounds for the T-Birds.
Charles McClennahan Jr. joined Williams in double figures for Butler with 14 points.
Cloud County returns home to host Northwest Kansas Technical College at 4 p.m. Saturday.