Littlewood posts double-double as Butler beats Pratt, 61-41

The Butler women survived an onslaught of 3-pointers from Pratt on their way to a 61-41 victory over the Beavers on Saturday.

Pratt went 12-of-36 from beyond the arc in the game, helping them stay competitive through much of the first half before Butler (18-8 overall, 15-8 conference) finally started to pull away.

Pratt would hit a 3-pointer for the first points of the game before Butler went on a 13-0 run with four points each from Awreona Ransom and Kyla Callins. When Morgan Littlewood scored with 4:35 left in the first quarter, the Grizzlies led 13-3. Butler would lead 21-12 at the end of the period.

Pratt (3-23, 2-21) scored a pair 3-pointers early in the second quarter, pulling within five of Butler at 23-18 with 7:26 left before halftime.  It would be the last time Pratt would score in the first half.

A Butler 9-0 run stretched the lead to 14 at 32-18, but even the Grizzlies struggled to score later in the half, going scorless over the final 3:08 of the second quarter.

Pratt closed within 10 points in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 37-27 after a 3-pointer by Mackenzie Anderson with 4:37 left in the period.

Butler outscored the Beavers 12-3 to finish the quarter, going up 49-30 after an Ericka Mattingly layup with 21 seconds left in the period.

Butler's biggest lead came in the final quarter at 59-36 after back-to-back layups by Littlewood and Ransom.

Mattingly and Ransom would lead Butler with 12 points apiece, while Littlewood posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds - her second double-double of the season.

Channa Parvin and Anderson led Pratt with 12 points apiece, each hitting four 3-pointers in the game.

Butler takes to the road on Wednesday to play at Coffeyville (14-13, 12-11) in a 5:30 p.m. contest. The Grizzlies will be looking for a season sweep, having won the first meeting 54-50 back on Jan. 6 in El Dorado. Butler is currently tied for fifth place in the Jayhawk Conference standings with Cloud County, just two games back of Cowley for fourth with three league games remaining.