Men's Basketball Close Regular Season at No. 19 Butler

EL DORADO, Kan. - The Colby Trojans men's basketball team closed out the regular season Wednesday (March 4) night with an 82-65 loss to No. 19-ranked Butler in El Dorado.

The Trojans kept the game competitive throughout the first half, trailing by just three points at the break before Butler used a strong second-half surge behind its perimeter shooting to pull away and secure the victory.

Colby shot the ball well early and stayed within striking distance throughout the opening half. The Trojans connected on several timely baskets and controlled the paint offensively, but Butler still managed to hold a slight 34-31 lead heading into halftime.

The Grizzlies created separation after the break, scoring 48 points in the second half while knocking down multiple three-pointers to stretch their lead. Butler finished the game with 17 three-pointers on 55 attempts, which helped offset Colby's strong presence inside. The Grizzlies eventually pushed their advantage to as many as 19 points late in the contest.

Colby finished the night shooting 23-of-54 (42.6 percent) from the field and 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) from three-point range while going 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) from the free throw line. The Trojans held a significant edge in points in the paint, outscoring Butler 32-16.

Gabe Njenga led the Trojans with 15 points while also dishing out a team-high seven assists and recording two steals. D.J. Cason added 11 points, knocking down three three-pointers and going a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Nana Keutcha finished with 10 points and six rebounds, while Owen Reece provided a strong effort off the bench with eight points and four rebounds. Rhett Kats added six points, and Giannis Asimakopoulos contributed five points and five rebounds.

Colby received 21 points from its bench in the contest but was outrebounded 46-34 and allowed Butler to convert 22 points off turnovers.

Butler was led by Tristan Hankins, who scored a game-high 20 points while connecting on five three-pointers. Xavier Brown added 14 points off the bench, and AJ Pierre-Jerome finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

The loss moves the Trojans to 7-23 (5-19 KJCCC) to close the regular season. Colby will now turn its attention to postseason play as the Trojans travel to face Seward County on Saturday (March 7) in the first round of the Region 6 Tournament. Tip is set for 6 p.m.