HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Butler High School girls basketball team – featuring perhaps the deepest roster in the state – wore down another opponent Thursday to advance in the state tournament.
Reserves Janna Lewis and Molly Lockhart combined for 26 points and 12 rebounds and the Bearettes dominated the paint to defeat Bowling Green 64-52 in the first round of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Sweet 16 in front of 3,631 fans at BB&T Arena.
Lewis had 16 points and six rebounds and Lockhart pitched in 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks as Butler’s bench outscored Bowling Green’s 30-8. Teri Goodlett had the Bearettes’ other four points off the bench.
“I have two players in Janna and Teri that probably could be starting for us,” Butler coach Larry Just said. “They give us such a great lift, and usually they come in pretty fast.
“And Molly made a huge difference for us around the basket with some blocks and some rebounds. For her first time on a big stage like this, that’s great for her confidence.”
Butler also got solid contributions from its starters, as Jaelynn Penn posted 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals and Tasia Jeffries added four points, eight rebounds and four assists.
No. 2 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, Butler (28-5) advanced to face the Elizabethtown-Henderson County winner in Friday’s 8 p.m. quarterfinal.
Kelly Morrow scored 18 points and Oneisha Turner added 16 for No. 11 Bowling Green (29-5), which was outrebounded 39-23 and outscored 42-18 in the paint.
“You’ve got to box them, and you’ve got to just want it on those 50-50 balls,” Purples coach LaVonda Johnson said. “We just didn’t connect down the stretch on that.”
Butler trailed 10-2 early, rallied for a 33-30 halftime lead and held a 43-39 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Taylor Hunter’s basket pulled the Purples within 43-41 at the 7:53 mark of the fourth quarter before Butler took control.
Penn’s basket on a beautiful alley-oop pass from Bre Torrens capped a 10-4 run that gave Butler a 53-45 lead with 5:25 remaining. Penn scored six points during the run.
“Part of the goal was trying to wear them down and make sure we could keep pushing and pushing and pushing and maybe at some point they’d break,” Just said. “We got a lot of easy buckets in the second half.”
Morrow’s two free throws pulled Bowling Green within 53-47 at the 5:01 mark, but that’s as close as it would get the rest of the way.
Lewis capped her big performance with a putback at the 3:38 mark that gave Butler a 57-48 lead.
“I like it,” she said of coming off the bench. “I just come out with energy and bring my all to help my team out, whether we’re up or down. I give it all I have.”
Just said he expected his team to win the rebounding battle because Bowling Green’s guards have a tendency to gamble for steals rather than hit the boards.
“It was a big plus for us to be able to get our guards and other people through there,” he said.
BOWLING GREEN 19 11 9 13 – 52
BUTLER 20 13 10 21 – 64
Bowling Green (29-5) – Turner 16, Matthews 5, Morrow 18, Mimms 2, Moore 3, Gray 5, Hunter 3.
Butler (28-5) – Bowden 6, Just 4, Jeffries 4, Penn 20, Goodlett 4, Lockhart 10, Lewis 16.
3-point goals – Morrow, Moore, Gray.