HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson’s losing streak reached four games Monday night as No. 25 Butler poured in 17 3-pointers and cruised past the Blue Dragons 102-73 in Jayhawk Conference play at the Sports Arena.
Playing without injured leading scorer Kyrell Shaw (22 points per game), Hutchinson fell behind early and never found a rhythm on either end. Butler scored 51 points in the first half, led 51-36 at the break and stayed on the gas after halftime, matching that first-half output with another 51 points in the second half to turn the game into a runaway.
The loss dropped Hutchinson to 10-10 overall and 5-9 in conference play.
Daleron Thomas led the Blue Dragons with 22 points and seven assists, getting to the line often and going 8 of 10 on free throws. Bobby Cannon added 19 points and seven rebounds, Anthony Alston scored 13 and Chudier Dorar contributed seven points with three blocks.
Butler (14-6, 10-4) spread the scoring around with four players in double figures and a deep rotation that kept the pressure on. Devin Kerr and Aiven Riley scored 14 apiece, Tim Walker II added 14 off the bench and Tristan Hankins finished with 13. Kerr also had four steals and the Grizzlies came away with 20, helping fuel transition chances and extra possessions.
Butler shot 44.0% from the field and 35.4% from 3-point range (17 of 48). Hutchinson shot 44.8% overall but struggled to keep pace from the perimeter, going 5 of 19 from long range, and the Blue Dragons were undone by 27 turnovers.
Hutchinson’s best stretch came early in the second half when it scored on consecutive possessions to trim the deficit briefly, but Butler answered with another wave of 3-pointers and pulled the margin back to double digits quickly. The Grizzlies had 16 offensive rebounds and finished with 40 total boards, repeatedly extending possessions and preventing Hutchinson from building any sustained momentum.
Hutchinson will look to regroup Wednesday when it hosts Independence at the Sports Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.