Print edition: 
HUTCHINSON — Butler felt like Wallace State (Ala.) couldn't stop it on offense.
It was true. The Grizzlies came away with points on 17 of 18 possessions the last 10 minutes of the game Tuesday.
But Butler couldn't produce enough stops on the other end in its 84-81 loss to Wallace State in the first round of the NJCAA tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
"It was pretty tough," Butler's Dushawn Brooks said. "We just couldn't do anything about it. They was hitting shots. Can't do nothing about it."
Wallace, which went two games without a three-pointer this season, made 10 and shot 57.9 percent from the field for the game.
"If you would have told me before the game that we would have given up 81 points and still won, I would have called you crazy," Wallace State coach Allen Sharpe said. "But we won. Just don't ask me how."
Wallace State couldn't do much about Brooks or Caleb Walker slashing to the rim, but capitalized on breaking the Grizzlies' press and finishing at the other end. This became apparent when Wallace took the game's largest lead, 58-46, with 10:06 left in the second half.
"I think it's just the natural human response," Butler coach Mike Bargen said of speeding up. "When you get behind, you try your hardest to help your team out and the natural response is to do it as quick as possible. You start to forget there are a lot of possessions in Juco basketball."
A 6-0 run capped by a no-look pass from Walker as he was falling down to Troy Pierce cut the lead to 75-72 with a little over two minutes to play. But Ricky Sears was fouled on the other end and convert two free throws.
It became a trend. Butler would cut the lead to three points, than Wallace State would respond with points all four times.
"We have something special," said Wallace's Sergio Crowe, who finished with 17 points and five threes. "We come together as a team and motivate each other to go hard."
The last one was particularly devastating. Wallace finally missed a three-pointer — its first of the second half — but Wallace big man Ricardo Hall came up with the rebound over Butler guard Mark Morgan. Hall made one free throw and Butler's Josh Gibbs missed on the other end.
"That's a result of what we like to do with our defense," Bargen said. "On some of our switches, we get matchups that are not favorable to us. He tried as hard as he could, but the size differential is just not in our favor."
Butler's Walker nearly tallied a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Brooks added 18 points and Butler had five in double figures.
The Grizzlies (29-6) will play in the consolation bracket on Thursday at noon against North Platte (Neb.).
"We have to come back and fight," Brooks said. "It's not over."
Three Rivers 81, Monroe 69 — Wichita State recruit Ehimen Orukpe came off the bench for Three Rivers to log three points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 23 minutes.
Three Rivers (28-6) advanced to the quarterfinals and will play Northwest Florida State (29-3) in the quarterfinals tonight at 6 p.m.
BUTLER: Cousin 2-9 5-8 10, Morgan 0-0 0-0 0, Pierce 4-7 2-4 10, Walker 7-10 2-2 18, Gibbs 5-10 3-6 14, Hilyard 2-4 1-2 7, Sloan 1-1 0-0 2, Brooks 8-12 2-2 18, Ingram 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 30-54 15-26 81.
WALLACE STATE: Crowe 6-10 0-0 17, Hall 4-8 1-2 9, Sears 1-2 1-3 3, Farmer 7-11 3-4 20, Thomas 6-7 2-2 14, Hendrix 2-4 0-0 6, Hughes 3-6 1-1 7, Crawford 3-3 0-0 6, Jones 0-3 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 33-57 8-12 84.
Halftime-Butler 36, Wallace 33. Three-point shooting-Butler 6-11 (Walker 2-2, Hilyard 2-4, Gibbs 1-1, Cousin 1-2, Brooks 0-2), Wallace 10-18 (Crowe 5-9, Farmer 3-5, Hendrix 2-4). Rebounds-Butler 28 (Walker 9), Wallace 28 (Thomas 5). Assists-Butler 20 (Walker 8), Wallace 16 (Sears 9). Fouls-Butler 15, Wallace 20.
Three Rivers 81, Monroe 69
THREE RIVERS: Carter 15, Mitchell 2, Walker 4, Wright 3, Niemczyk 25, Williams 8, Terry 13, Prater 2, Orukpe 3, Henry 6. Totals 23-48 23-28 81.
MONROE: Matthews 9, Henriquez 11, Lindsay 16, Harris 6, Dezouvre 10, Nared 6, Bandoumel 11. Totals 20-52 26-36 69.
Halftime — Three Rivers 37, Monroe 32. 3s — Three Rivers 4-14 (Niemczyk 4); Monroe 1-10 (Henriquez). Rebounds — Three Rivers 45 (Terry 10); Monroe 46 (Nared 9). Assists — Three Rivers: 18 (Terry 6), Monroe: 12 (Lindsay 4).
E. Mississippi 86, Brunswick 65
BRUNSWICK: A. Thompson 12, Smith-Taylor 1, Graham 17, Smith 10, Yarborough 2, Graham 11, Dixon 2, Young 2, Bobson 8. Totals 21-46 11-17 65.
EAST MISSISSIPPI: Walker 1, Bennett 7, Alexander 16, McCoy 16, Harris 5, Ware 4, King 8, Dixon 17, M. Thompson 12. Totals 31-43 15-29 86.
Halftime — East Mississippi 45, Brunswick 40. 3s — Brunswick 4-14 (Thompson 2, Graham, Bobson); East Mississippi 3-15 (Alexander 3). Rebounds — Brunswick 29 (Yarborough 5); East Mississippi 50 (Dixon 13). Assists — Brunswick: 14 (Knox 4), East Mississippi: 18 (Alexander 7).
NW Florida 81, SE Iowa 77
SE IOWA: Ruple 12, Simmons 4, Baker 11, Habeeb 2, Arnold 15, Leggett 5, Gulley 2, Lee 19, Mafra 7. Totals 19-43 18-26 81.
NW FLORIDA: Mosley 14, Brantley 10, Owens 4, Bryant 19, Crawford 20, Cooper 8, Veal 6. Totals 18-39 21-34 77.
Halftime — NW Florida 39, SE Iowa 31. 3s — SE Iowa 7-13 (Baker, Arnold, Leggettt, Lee 4); NW Florida 8-16 (Mosley 4, Brantley 2, Cooper 2). Rebounds — SE Iowa 35 (Lee 9); NW Florida 45 (Owens 11). Assists — SE Iowa: 11 (Ruple 3), NW Florida: 15 (Bryant 7).
Eastern Utah 71, North Platte 62
NORTH PLATTE: D. Williams 6, Ragland 10, Brown 4, Grabau 19, Weatherford 8, Gruszecki 7, Gawrzdek 5, Mauge 3. Totals 16-30 15-21 62.
EASTERN UTAH: Glover 28, I. Williams 4, Colomon 5, Hawk-Harris 4, Mills 13, Thmpson 3, Joaquim 14. Totals 20-36 25-37 71.
Halftime — Eastern Utah 33, North Platte 29. 3's — North Platte 5-25 (Ragland, Grabau 3, Gruszecki ); Eastern Utah 2-10 (Colomon, Thompson). Rebounds — North Platte 25 (Williams and Gruszecki 4); Eastern Utah 51 (Mills 12). Assists — North Platte: 14 (Williams 5), Eastern Utah: 8 (Thompson 4).
Navarro 66, Middle Georgia 65
MIDDLE GEORGIA: Forge 12, Mallory 3, T. Knight 8, M. Knight 19, Hall 20, Cooper 3 . Totals 20-433 13-19 65.
NAVARRO, TEXAS: Ferguson 1, Allen 5, Pressey 23, Carater 5, turpin 2, Thibodeaux 7, Harper 13, Allou 4, Gibson 2, Denson 4. Totals 21-43 9-17 66.
Halftime — Middle Georgia 29, Navarro, Texas 28. 3's — Middle Georgia 4-13 (Forge 2, Mallory, Cooper); Navarro, Texas 5-24 (Allen, Pressey 2, Carter, Thibodeaux). Rebounds — Middle Georgia 40 (Hall 10); Navarro, Texas 48 (Allou 7). Assists — Middle Georgia: 12 (Callaway 6), Navarro, Texas: 9 (Carter 5).
