Saints streak to fifth straight win with 130-110 victory over No. 18 Butler

LIBERAL, Kan. — The Seward County Community College men's basketball team used a dominant second half to pull away from No. 18 Butler Community College and post a 130-110 triumph Saturday at the Greenhouse.

The streaking Saints closed the first part of the season with their fifth straight win, improving to 6-2 in the Jayhawk Conference and 11-3 overall. Seward, which also received votes in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association poll, returns to the court at Independence Community College on Saturday, January 3.

The Saints trailed by two, 61-59, at halftime, but erupted after the break, pouring in 71 second-half points, going on a 21-10 spurt to open an 80-71 lead with 13:13 left in the game. Seward extended its margin to double digits and never looked back.

Seward trailed early to start the game before storming back and opening a six-point lead with just over a minute left in the half. Butler came back with an 11-3 run, capped by a buzzer-beating jumper from AJ Pierre-Jerome to take a 61-59 lead at the break.

Antonio Williams Jr. led Seward County with 32 points, repeatedly getting to the free-throw line, where the Saints finished 46-of-63. Lyna Brooks Jr. added 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-6 from three-point range. Korbin Dowdell scored 20 points off the bench while Lucas N'Gombo added 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting.

Butler was led by Tristan Hankins with 22 points and Xavier Brown added 20 points. The Grizzlies fell to 5-2 in the conference and 9-4 overall.