Surprise return of Lindsey Duvall gives Bullitt East extra punch

Gravy.

That’s what Lindsey Duvall will give Bullitt East the rest of this season after she made a surprise return to the court last Friday, just three months after undergoing surgery to remove a benign tumor near her left knee.

Early returns suggest she’ll give the No. 21 Chargers some pretty good gravy. The junior scored 20 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer in the final minutes of the 60-57 win over North Bullitt. She followed that up with 18 points and 11 rebounds in a double-digit win at No. 6 Franklin County.

The original timetable for Duvall’s recovery was four to six months after doctors removed a growth on her tibia in November. The earliest possible return would still have had her missing the entire season.

But the University of Kentucky commitment received great news during a doctor’s visit in December. The bone graft had taken well and, if things still looked good in January, Duvall would be allowed to resume activity without crutches. The new year rolled in, the crutches were cast aside and she was cleared to run beginning the first week of February. A week later, she scored the 2,000th point of her career.

“It feels good being out there with my team again,” said Duvall, rated as the No. 3 point guard in the nation and the 10th-best player in the class of 2017 by ESPN. “It’s exciting.”

It’s also a development that shakes up the outlook for the 6th Region, which includes No. 1 Butler and No. 7 Mercy. The Chargers (18-4) hosted No. 12 Sacred Heart on Friday as a final tuneup heading into the 24th District Tournament. They’ve lost four straight district titles and last season’s 6th Region title to Mercy, whom they defeated on the road without Duvall on Jan. 19.

This season was “probably the first time since fifth or sixth grade” that Duvall’s teammates had played without her, Coach Chris Stallings said. They handled it well, going 16-4 in her absence.

Stallings didn’t entertain the notion of having Duvall back at all this season. Even when she got off her crutches in January, it wasn’t discussed as much as it lingered in the back of his mind.

“I think the more success that we’ve had has given (the rest of the team) confidence in their own ability and that’s been really positive,” Stallings said. “ ... We felt like we could contend for a regional title when she was hurt and we certainly feel that way now. That just moved us a little bit closer to doing that.”

Duvall said being sidelined made her appreciate basketball more. Being on the bench opened her eyes to different aspects of the game, especially players’ body language on the floor. It was neat for Stallings to see “a different side” of his star guard, who still attended each practice and was on the bench every game.

“She was actively engaged and it wasn’t ‘poor, pitiful me,’” Stallings said. “ ... I think if she hadn’t been engaged in a positive away or been at practices or traveled with us on games, she’d be a little further back than where she is.”

Duvall estimates that she’s at about 60 percent of her top form right now, understandable given the loss of three months of conditioning. After defying the recovery odds, it’s best not to underestimate Duvall’s capability of returning to her maximum self.

“I’ve been pushing myself harder. If I get tired, I make myself go faster,” Duvall said. “I feel like I don’t want to take it for granted because I’ve been out for so long. I want to try my best.”

Stallings hopes Duvall and her teammates won’t put any extra pressure on themselves because of her return to the team.

“Everything she does this year is just gravy. ... We’ll just take things slow and whatever happens is positive and a bonus.”

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Surprise return of Lindsey Duvall gives Bullitt East extra punch."