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03-06-2011, 12:40 PM
Butler High School senior Megan Cureton missed the front end of a one-and-one with 4.4 seconds left in the Class Act Sixth Region girls' basketball championship game on Saturday at Bellarmine's Knights Hall.
The Bearettes led by one point, and Bullitt East had one final chance with Lindey Young snaring the rebound.
As Young fired down the floor, the Butler players said, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
"It felt like it was in the air forever," Cureton said.
The ball bounced near midcourt, and junior Mackenzie Martinez stepped in front of a Bullitt East defender for the steal and a regional title as the Bearettes hung on 40-39 before about 1,500 fans.
"Honestly, I didn't know what was going on with the ball in the air," Martinez said. "I just knew I had to get the ball. And then when I got the ball, I didn't know time had run out. I kept dribbling while the horn went off, and everybody went crazy."
The victory gave Butler (27-4), No. 10 in The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, a third regional title in four years and the school's 13th in all.
Butler will play the 14th Region champion at the Sweet 16 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.
"I am just so happy for this group," Butler coach Larry Just said. "We talked about how this was a whole new year and this was the year we had to come in here and do this for us.
"They've just had a great year so far."
Butler led most of the way after a 10-0 run when the Bearettes held the Lady Chargers without a point for 5:14 beginning late in the first quarter.
But Bullitt East showed grit and hung in there.
The Lady Chargers took their first lead since the opening quarter on a putback by Young with 4:47 left. Butler led 37-36 with 2:14 to go when the Bearettes ran some time off.
With only two personal fouls, Bullitt East started fouling. Martinez made 1 of 2 with 56.6 seconds left before Emily Fryman made it 38-37 with 1 of 2 free throws at 0:50.8.
Martinez added two free throws with 47.2 seconds left.
"The last minute seemed like it lasted forever to me," Martinez said. "I should have made 4 of 4."
Bullitt East missed a three-point attempt, and Young missed two free throws with 16.6 seconds left. But the Lady Chargers picked up the offensive rebound, and Young scored to make it 40-39 with 6.2 seconds remaining.
"We missed a block-out on a free throw, and if we get that they don't get a putback," Just said. "So it kind of goes both ways. Our kids never quit there."
Cureton then saved the inbound pass before she was fouled, setting up the final flurry.
"There were not many easy shots in this game," Just said. "We were fortunate they missed some free throws and we made some stops when we really had to have them."
Aaeron Smith led Butler with 12 points. The Bearettes were outrebounded 29-18, and freshman standout Danielle Lawrence went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
But the Bearettes are still headed to the Sweet 16.
"I'm going there to win it," Cureton said.
Bullitt East (25-9) got 19 points and 15 rebounds from Young. The Lady Chargers hit 11 of 22 free throws.
"We talked to the girls about (free throws), and we told them not to beat themselves up about it," Bullitt East coach Chris Stallings said. "It's not like we didn't practice them. We spent about 15 minutes at the end of each practice for about the last three weeks on free throws.
" ... I couldn't be more proud of this group of girls on where we are now from when we started."
http://www.highschoolsports.net/local/lo...mpionship/
Bullitt East 6 10 9 14 39
Butler 15 4 11 10 40
Bullitt East (25-9) - Polson 7, Young 19, Fryman 6, Isabel 7.
Butler (27-4) - Lawerence 2, Smith 12, Wheat 6, Martinez 5, Cureton 9, Moore 4, Stallard 2.
3P:Fryman 1, Isabel 1, Wheat 1, Cureton 1, Moore 1.
The Bearettes led by one point, and Bullitt East had one final chance with Lindey Young snaring the rebound.
As Young fired down the floor, the Butler players said, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
"It felt like it was in the air forever," Cureton said.
The ball bounced near midcourt, and junior Mackenzie Martinez stepped in front of a Bullitt East defender for the steal and a regional title as the Bearettes hung on 40-39 before about 1,500 fans.
"Honestly, I didn't know what was going on with the ball in the air," Martinez said. "I just knew I had to get the ball. And then when I got the ball, I didn't know time had run out. I kept dribbling while the horn went off, and everybody went crazy."
The victory gave Butler (27-4), No. 10 in The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, a third regional title in four years and the school's 13th in all.
Butler will play the 14th Region champion at the Sweet 16 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.
"I am just so happy for this group," Butler coach Larry Just said. "We talked about how this was a whole new year and this was the year we had to come in here and do this for us.
"They've just had a great year so far."
Butler led most of the way after a 10-0 run when the Bearettes held the Lady Chargers without a point for 5:14 beginning late in the first quarter.
But Bullitt East showed grit and hung in there.
The Lady Chargers took their first lead since the opening quarter on a putback by Young with 4:47 left. Butler led 37-36 with 2:14 to go when the Bearettes ran some time off.
With only two personal fouls, Bullitt East started fouling. Martinez made 1 of 2 with 56.6 seconds left before Emily Fryman made it 38-37 with 1 of 2 free throws at 0:50.8.
Martinez added two free throws with 47.2 seconds left.
"The last minute seemed like it lasted forever to me," Martinez said. "I should have made 4 of 4."
Bullitt East missed a three-point attempt, and Young missed two free throws with 16.6 seconds left. But the Lady Chargers picked up the offensive rebound, and Young scored to make it 40-39 with 6.2 seconds remaining.
"We missed a block-out on a free throw, and if we get that they don't get a putback," Just said. "So it kind of goes both ways. Our kids never quit there."
Cureton then saved the inbound pass before she was fouled, setting up the final flurry.
"There were not many easy shots in this game," Just said. "We were fortunate they missed some free throws and we made some stops when we really had to have them."
Aaeron Smith led Butler with 12 points. The Bearettes were outrebounded 29-18, and freshman standout Danielle Lawrence went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
But the Bearettes are still headed to the Sweet 16.
"I'm going there to win it," Cureton said.
Bullitt East (25-9) got 19 points and 15 rebounds from Young. The Lady Chargers hit 11 of 22 free throws.
"We talked to the girls about (free throws), and we told them not to beat themselves up about it," Bullitt East coach Chris Stallings said. "It's not like we didn't practice them. We spent about 15 minutes at the end of each practice for about the last three weeks on free throws.
" ... I couldn't be more proud of this group of girls on where we are now from when we started."
http://www.highschoolsports.net/local/lo...mpionship/
Bullitt East 6 10 9 14 39
Butler 15 4 11 10 40
Bullitt East (25-9) - Polson 7, Young 19, Fryman 6, Isabel 7.
Butler (27-4) - Lawerence 2, Smith 12, Wheat 6, Martinez 5, Cureton 9, Moore 4, Stallard 2.
3P:Fryman 1, Isabel 1, Wheat 1, Cureton 1, Moore 1.
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03-06-2011, 05:15 PM
Congrats Butler.
03-06-2011, 05:16 PM
LWC Wrote:Congrats to the Butler Bulldogs. The Sweet 16 would not feel the same if Butler wasn't it in. They seem to have a strangle-hold on that region.
I agree 100%
03-06-2011, 08:00 PM
Butler has had a fantastic season
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