GAME 6: BUTLER VS. BOWLING GREEN, 1:30 P.M. THURSDAY
BUTLER
* Coach: Larry Just.
* Record: 27-5.
* Nickname: Bearettes.
* Location: Louisville.
* Region: Sixth.
* Enrollment: 1,680.
* Litkenhous Rating: 109.6 (No. 2 in state).
* Sweet 16 trips: 16th (26-11).
* Last trip to State: 2014 (beat Elizabethtown 49-38 in final).
* What to look for: Butler may have the deepest roster in the state, with eight players capable of scoring in double figures on a given night. Three juniors – Jaelynn Penn (Dayton), Tasia Jeffries (Saint Louis) and Teri Goodlett (Eastern Kentucky) – have committed to NCAA Division I schools. Most of the current players were around two years ago when Butler won the state title. After a disappointing loss in the regional tournament last season, the Bearettes have solved their chemistry issues and once again appear to be a strong contender for the state titles.
* Key player: Jaelynn Penn not only is Butler’s leading scorer, she’s also the team’s most versatile player, capable of scoring from 3-point range and by taking the ball to the basket. She’s shooting a solid 58.6 percent from the field overall and is 41.8 percent (23 of 55) from 3-point range.
* Coach-speak: “I think we’re playing some pretty good basketball,” Just said. “They’re in a good place mentally with each other. I feel good about what’s going to happen. You can never predict winning and losing, but I think they’ll go out there and play well.”
STARTERS
3-Bre Torrens
5-4, Jr., 3.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg
4-Tasia Jeffries
5-8, Jr., 10.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg
23-Jaelynn Penn
5-9, Jr., 13.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg
40-Allison Just
5-9, Sr., 5.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg
12-Micaiah Bowden
5-10, Sr., 6.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg
KEY RESERVES
35-Janna Lewis
5-8, Jr., 9.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg
24-Teri Goodlett
5-5, Jr., 6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg
30-Molly Lockhart
6-3, So., 5.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg
BOWLING GREEN
* Coach: LaVonda Johnson.
* Record: 29-4.
* Nickname: Purples.
* Location: Bowling Green.
* Region: Fourth.
* Enrollment: 1,229.
* Litkenhous Rating: 103.2 (No. 11 in state).
* Sweet 16 trips: Fourth (1-3).
* Last trip to State: 2013 (lost to Marion County 64-43 in first round).
* What to look for: The Purples have a good combination of guards who can shoot the 3-pointer in Dejia Moore, Markizjah Mimms and Kelly Morrow and size in the 6-foot Ta Mia Matthews, 5-10 Oneisha Turner and 5-11 Taylor Hunter. Morrow is the Purples’ top scorer and “can knock down shots from the outside and attack,” Johnson said.
* Key player: Oneisha Turner started as a freshman when Bowling Green last reached the Sweet 16 and now is the team’s No. 2 scorer and No. 1 rebounder. She also shoots 51.9 percent from the field. “Her experience is just what you want come tournament time,” Johnson said. “She’s been a little inconsistent this year, but she’s stepped up when we’ve needed her to. She still has that drive in her.”
* Coach-speak: “Our defense gets us going,” Johnson said. “We rely on that a lot to get us into our transition. I think our staff and players have done a good job of making adjustments on defense to match up with the teams we’re playing.”
STARTERS
13-Dejia Moore
5-7, Sr., 7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg
12-Markizjah Mimms
5-7, Jr., 8.5 ppg, 1.8 ppg
1-Keely Morrow
5-9, So., 13.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg
2-Ta Mia Matthews
6-0, Sr., 8.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg
21-Oneisha Turner
5-10, Sr., 13.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg
KEY RESERVES
55-Taylor Hunter
5-11, Sr., 7.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
4-Heavyn Gray
5-6, Jr., 3.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg
-Jason Frakes