By MIKE KESSINGER

mkessinger@gctelegram.com

With one quick step Tyrone Flemming closed out Thursday nights Jayhawk Conference contest at Perryman Athletic Complex with a crowd pleasing dunk. Not that the Garden City Community College men's basketball team needed it, but at the very least it left the crowd happy.

The Broncbusters finished with an 80-74 win against Butler, giving Garden City its second straight win and helping to erase the taste of a seven-point loss to the Grizzlies the first time the two met this season.

"We were kind of blessed tonight," Garden City head coach Kris Baumann said. "Coming out of the gate tonight, we kind of hung around, and then in the second half it got a little scary for a second there. (Butler) started shooting the ball really well and we didn't find the shooters, but we dug ourselves out of it."

Through much of the game the Busters played catch-up. In the first half, the Grizzlies (8-15, 3-7) built a 10-point lead on a Logan Stutz 3-pointer. The Busters fought back to tie it at halftime. In the first five minutes after halftime, Garden City again were in a hole as Butler jumped out a 52-38 lead topped off by an Avery Richardson 3-pointer. But like the first half, the Busters had a reply. It was all that mattered.

Started by a Sterling Link layup on a pass from Jace McNabb, Garden City (17-6, 6-4) tore through the Grizzly defense on its through a 25-6 run topped off by a Tim Brown short jumper that put the Busters up 63-58. Butler never gained a lead from there.

"Like I told everybody, at the end of year they don't ask you to draw a picture of how your season went, they ask you how many you won, how many you lost," Baumann said. "We won one tonight."

The Busters received a spark from different places all through the game. Four players finished in double-figure scoring for Garden City led by guard Corey Claitt with 22.

"I thought Corey was outstanding in the second half," Baumann said. "He really attacked the basket. He really lifted us."

Garden City's three other players in double-digits all from the middle where Link scored 15 from his center spot, and Trevor Ottley and Brown each had 12.

Brown, who was one of four players suspended before Garden City's 75-73 win Saturday against Colby was reinstated to play against Butler. Two others Damien Young and Blake Baird are expected back for the game against Pratt. Reserve forward Nic White has been dismissed from the team. Baumann said after the Colby game the four were suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

Butler had four players score more than 10 as well. Dominique Ngniman paced the Grizzlies with 15 points.

Garden City will be at Pratt on Saturday. The game will start at 8 p.m.

------------

BUTLER (8-15, 3-7): Colter 2-4 3-4 7, Sechrist 5-10 0-0 12, Richardson 2-5 0-0 5, Ngniman 6-10 2-5 15, Batiste 5-13 0-0 14, White 0-1 0-0 0, Arnold 2-2 1-1 6, Riemann 0-0 2-2 2, Stutz 5-7 1-3 13. Totals -- 27-52 9-15 74.

GARDEN CITY (17-6, 6-4): Flemming 2-7 2-2 6, McNabb 0-0 0-0 0, Tarvin 2-4 0-0 4, Ottley 5-8 1-2 12, Link 7-13 1-5 15, Ragan 1-8 6-6 9, Gantz 0-0 0-0 0, Claitt 10-16 0-2 22, Brown 5-6 2-6 12. Totals -- 32-62 12-23 80.

Halftime -- 32-32. 3-Point goals -- Butler 11-19 (Batiste 4-9, Sechrist 2-3, Stutz 2-2, Richardson 1-3, Ngiman 1-1, Arnold 1-1); Garden City 4-11 (Claitt 2-3, Ragan 1-6, Ottley 1-1, Flemming 0-1). Rebounds -- Butler 28 (Sechrist 6); Garden City 36 (Ottley 8). Fouled out -- None. Assists -- Butler 12 (Colter 8); Garden City 7 (Claitt 3). Blocks -- Butler 0; Garden City 3 (Link 2).