EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
Seward and No. 18 Butler combined to attempt 102 free throws in a hotly defended game, but the aggressive defense led to a combine 68 points from the free throw line and ended with a 130-110 Seward win.
After only winning two conference games last year, the Saints head to the break in first place with a 6-2 conference record and 11-3 overall.
Seward had little trouble breaking the full court press that Butler ran the entire game, and the Saints had a seven point lead late in the first half before the Grizzlies rallied to tie the game and then take a 61-59 lead at half with a last second jumper that sent Seward coach Austin Downing to the hallway before he went to the locker room. But the Saints took a 66-64 lead with 17:41 to play and built the lead to 80-71 with 13:13 to play after a Korbin Dowdell jumper.
Butler got as close as five, but the Saints started to build the lead, and after Antonio Williams, Jr., dropped a pair of free throws with 7:40 to play, the Saints had a 100-87 lead.
Butler cut the lead to 105-100 with 4:55 to play, but the Saints outscored the Grizzlies 25-10 the rest of the way to secure the 130-110 win.
Williams led the saints with 32 points and was one of six Saints to reach double digits.
Lyna Brooks, Jr., scored 26 points, Dowdell had 20, Lucas N’Gombo dropped 26, and Awit Mamer and RJ McKinnie each had 11.
Seward made 46 of 63 free throw attempts in the win.
“Coach prepared us,” Williams said. “We saw how Garden plays, so we knew how they would play. We had to pride ourselves on defense. We had to be poised.”
After trailing at half by two, the Saints adjusted.
“We had to limit the turnovers,” Williams said. “We had a couple turnovers that led to threes. We had to stay focused. It was a game of runs. We had to make plays on defense.”
Downing was pleased how his team stepped up to the challenge.
“Hats off to the guys in the locker room,” he said. “They love each other and play for each other. They were on a mission tonight. They know we had a ranked Butler team coming in, and we wanted to head into break with confidence. It’s a long year, and we can’t get complacent. Yes, we are playing good right now, but we have to stay hungry, be disciplined with our diet over the break and be prepared for a very good Independence Pirates team.”
Seward faces Indy Jan. 3.
