Lindsey's shot lifts Butler to 87-85 home win over Dodge City

Johnnathan Lindsey hit a 15-foot jumper from the right elbow with 18.1 seconds left to lift the Butler men to an 87-85 victory over Dodge City in a Jayhawk Conference matchup on Saturday at the Power Plant. 

After the made bucket, Butler held on defensively as the clock ran down, eventually forcing a hurried 3-point attempt from Dodge City that was well short of the bucket.

Butler led most of the game, taking the lead 13-12 with 14:24 to go on a dunk by Ketarrious Bouchum.  Twice in the first half, Butler built a lead of six points, only to have Dodge City cut it to a one-point game.

Butler's biggest lead came with 34 seconds left in the half, when Antfernee Adams made a pair of free throws to put Butler up 52-44. Dodge City scored the final bucket of the half and Butler led 52-46 at the break.

The game would remain close throughout the second half and was tied 67-67 after a 3-pointer by Trevon Evans with 9:58 to play.

Dodge City took its first lead of the second half when Mike Jones made a 3-pointer with 4:12 to go, putting the Conqs in front 79-78.

Butler had taken an 85-82 lead before Dodge's Nick Noskowiak made a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left to tie the game. That set the stage for Lindsey's game winner, which came as the shot clock was running out.

Lindsey led Butler with 16 points as one of six Butler players in double figures. Antferene Adams had 14 points off the bench. Jacolby Harris had 13, LaJuan Hardy had 12, Will Adler had 11 and Ketarrious Bouchum scored 10. Adams also led Butler in rebounding with seven.

Dodge City shot better from the floor at 56 percent (34 of 61) to Butler's 46 percent (26 of 57) but Butler won the battle at the free throw line, shooting 85 percent (28 of 33) while Dodge made just 45 percent (9 of 20). Butler also outrebounded the Conqs 34-29 and had two fewer turnovers.

The Grizzlies have now won three straight and are 7-3 on the season and 4-3 in conference play, which puts them in a five-way tie for third place. Butler will face undefeated  and first-place Hutchinson (11-0, 7-0) on the road on Wednesday and finish the first semester at second-place Cloud County (10-1, 6-1) on Saturday.