Dodge City men's basketball squared off with another ranked KJCCC opponent and would give Butler all they could handle taking the contest to the wire but ultimately tripped up falling 84-76. 
 
The loss sends the Conquistadors to 9-16 on the season and 7-12 in KJCCC action. 
 
Early on it was back-and-forth leading to a 10-10 tie nearly six minutes into the contest and the rest of the game would prove to be both teams trading baskets most of the action. Butler would snag the lead in the first half and take a nine-point advantage into halftime up 44-35. The Conqs came out of halftime strong mounting a 9-0 run capped by an Avnoor Bhullar three-pointer to tie the game at 44-44. The contest would remain tight and the Conqs would grab the lead around the 12:36 mark with a Chevalier "Ice" Emery three-point to go up 59-57. It would be a Conq lead or a tie game until the seven-and-a-half minute mark when Butler grabbed that lead back at 69-67. The game would remain a one-possession game until the two-minute mark when Butler grabbed ahold of the lead and would not give it up as the Conqs fell 84-76. 
 
In the loss, the Conqs shot 42.9% from the floor including hitting 10 three-points and going 12-16 from the free throw line, but Butler countered by shooting 55.2% and going 17-24 from the free throw line.
 
Emery paced the Conqs with 25 points on 8-17 shooting including six three-pointers and 3-4 from the free throw line. Bhullar chipped in 16 points with eight rebounds and was 5-6 from the free-throw line. Jackson Swartz added nine points and six rebounds. 
 
The Conqs hit the road on Saturday, February 17th for another KJCCC showdown as they travel to Goodland, KS to take on Northwest Kansas Tech at 5:00 pm (4:00 pm MST).