Temperature In Hutch Rising, Butler Pressure Melts Snow
Fast and furious was the start to game 13 of the 2026 NJCAA Men’s D1 Basketball Championship. It was Butler CC vs Snow College, in a game to determine the Quarterfinalist who will match up with #1 Seed Howard College in the Noon game on Wednesday, March 25.
It was #8 Seed Butler who held off Badger charges in each half to outlast and advance 101-96.
Butler raced to a 14 point advantage at midpoint of the first half, 30-16. The lead increased to 37-19 with 6 to play.
By the time the clock we to 2 minutes it was a 2 point ballgame. When Sean Felts of Snow made a layup with 60 seconds to play, the game was tied at 46.
The Badgers never led but trailed only 48-47 at half.
The 2nd frame started just like the beginning with the Grizzlies getting some separation. Largest lead in period 2 was 14 at 87-73 with just under 9 remaining.
Snow (29-5) cut the lead to single digits, 87-80 at the 5:50 mark, but BCC kept the lead around ten until the last minute.
A bucket and a steal ending in a bucket made it 100-94. But that was it.
McCaden Adam’s led Snow’s attack pumping in 26 (10-10) from the line.
The duo of Tristan Hankins and Jaise Combs each with 21 powered the Grizzlies.
Butler (25-9), true to regular season form, flung it up a total of 96 times (13-52 from distance). But their full court high pressure defense created 30 turnovers, by far the most by any team so far in the tourney, and their 27-11 margin in 2nd chance points was the difference maker.
