Austin Wise and Ryan Luckett scored 11 points apiece as Butler High School beat Western 44-41 on Monday in the first round of the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament at Valley.
Seeded 14th, Butler (7-7) outlasted its district foe Western (8-7) in a tightly contested halfcourt affair.
The Bears never trailed, but they also never led by more than 19-12, the halftime score.
Bears coach K.C. Goodin knows the pace will be different Wednesday, when they play Bullitt East, the No. 6 team in The Litkenhous Ratings. The third-seeded Chargers beat Butler 76-60 on Dec. 8.
“They want to get out and run and push it and make plays,” Goodin said. “They’re really, really good. It’ll be a big mountain for us to try to climb.”
Despite outrebounding the Bears 34-18, the 15th-seeded Warriors could not overcome 36.4 percent shooting and 20 turnovers. Genario Ferrell led Western, scoring 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
| Western | 7 | 5 | 13 | 16 | — | 41 |
| Butler | 9 | 10 | 8 | 17 | — | 44 |
Western (8-7) – Ferrell 17, Johnson 6, Brown 3, Graves 2, Rhodes 6, Malone 7.
Butler (7-7) – Wales 8, Montgomery 6, Wise 11, Luckett 11, Tolley 5, Hamby 2, Watkins 1.
3-point goals – Ferrell 4.