Butler girls basketball breaks through, holds off Bullitt East for Sweet 16 berth

Butler girls' basketball now has won four region championships in the last 10 years, but it had been a while since the Bearettes won their last title.

Bullitt East seemed like it was always in the way.

Butler coach Candyce Wheeler helped change that in her first year with the program.

No. 14 Butler defeated the Chargers, 55-51, on Saturday night to win the Sixth Region Tournament and advance to the Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.

“It feels amazing, especially for this group, especially for my seniors,” Wheeler said. “They have been through so much. I mean, four coaches in four years. I told them this was the goal at the beginning of the year when I got the job. So actually to see that to fruition, I can't imagine how they honestly feel right now.”

Butler (26-8), whose last region title was in 2017, will play Anderson County at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Sweet 16.

Bullitt East (20-15) won the region in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but the Bearettes finally broke through despite star Ramiya White struggling with foul trouble early. She picked up her second foul with 7:16 remaining in the second quarter and sat the remainder of the half.

Mariah Knight and Emaree Gober paced Butler’s offense.

Gober went 4 for 4 from the field in the first half.

“I told her, I need her to score,” Wheeler said of Gober. “She came in and she was aggressive … That was huge.”

Knight scored 12 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 17, 13 rebounds and two blocks.

“I've been preparing for this all season,” Knight said. “I just shot it confidently, and I believed in myself.”

On defense, Butler gave Bullitt East little wiggle room to shoot. The Chargers shot 3 for 25 from the field in the first half and had 10 turnovers.

In the third quarter, Butler had its largest lead, 40-20, before Bullitt East mounted a furious comeback.

The Chargers went on a 16-2 run to start the fourth quarter and tied the game at 51 with 1:24 remaining.

Wheeler said the Chargers’ full-court press played a big role in their comeback. Butler turned the ball over eight times in the final quarter.

She said inexperience also played a factor. White and Anieja Russell — both starters — fouled out in the fourth quarter, so the Bearettes had a younger group on the court.

Bullitt East sophomore Anna Tinelli had a game-high 21 points, including eight in the last quarter.

Bullitt East’s Mollie Johnston had a chance to give her team the lead at the free-throw line with 57 seconds remaining, but she missed both free throws. The Chargers shot 6 of 15 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

On the Bearettes’ next possession, senior Keziah Bradley hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give Butler the lead, 54-51.

“She has been in the gym late, staying after practice and shooting, and she was ready for that moment,” Wheeler said of Bradley.

Imari Robinson then blocked Anna Rodgers’ 3-point attempt, sealing the victory for Butler.

“We already knew we wanted to win, and we (were) going to do whatever it took to get there,” Robinson said.

“Thankfully I was the one to get (the block), but it could have been any one of my teammates.”

BUTLER               16          19          13           7 - 55

BULLITT EAST    11          7            13          20 - 51

Butler (26-8) – Emaree Gober 9, Keziah Bradley 8, Makayla Alexander 4, Anieja Russell 2, Imari Robinson 6, Malia Patrick 1, Mariah Knight 17, Ramiya White 8.

Bullitt East (20-15) – Carli Bryant 3, Anna Tinelli 21, Anna Rodgers 13, Aubrey Packer 2, Mollie Johnston 9, Lyla Packer 3.

All-tournament team – Mariah Knight, Ramiya White, Keziah Bradley (Butler); Anna Rodgers, Anna Tinelli (Bullitt East); Abby Reitzel (Mercy); Aubryonna Durrah (Western); Payton Miller (Holy Cross); Jeannae Bolin (Pleasure Ridge Park); Makenna Anderson (Bullitt Central); Kylie Downey (North Bullitt)

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Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA basketball: Butler holds off Bullitt East, wins Sixth Region