‘We changed a lot of our bad habits.’ Butler takes down Anderson County in Girls’ Sweet 16.
Through three quarters of back-and-forth basketball, Butler guard Malia Patrick hounded her teammates with two words each time they huddled: lock in.
The senior reserve’s message was heard in the final frame: The Bearettes doubled up Anderson County in the fourth quarter to claim a 58-49 victory, advancing past round one of the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16 in Rupp Arena on Wednesday night.
Patrick was a stat-stuffer in just 15 minutes off the bench: 10 points (4-for-5 shooting), four assists, four rebounds and a steal. But it was her defensive intensity, and that of her teammates, that allowed Butler to move on to face either Franklin County or North Laurel on Friday afternoon.
“I like coming off the bench,” Patrick said. “I feel like it gives me time to see what’s going on. When I come in the game, I’m ready and prepared, and I can bring energy that’s not right there.”
A 4-for-4 long-range clip from distance allowed Anderson County (32-3) to take a 38-36 lead into the fourth after trailing by two at halftime. A steal and score by Patrick evened things as the period started.
Bearcats junior Hailey Johnson scored five straight to keep them in it early, but Butler (27-8) didn’t relinquish the lead again after a lay-up by Ramiya White with 5:17 to play. Johnson and Jenna Satterly each had a game-high 17 points for Anderson County.
White, a 6-foot-5 forward who signed with the University of Kentucky in November, ended with 16 points and four rebounds in 20 minutes on a floor she could call home this fall.
“When we first started, I had the jitters, I was a little nervous,” White said. She scored six of her 16 in the fourth quarter. “When I started scoring, it just felt comfortable to me, so I just kept scoring.”
Butler’s determination in the final eight minutes embodied that of a return-to-form season. The perennial power — its five state titles are tied for the second most in state history — hadn’t qualified for the state tournament since 2017.
The program suffered consecutive non-winning seasons before this one, and before those had three straight campaigns end in the Sixth Region championship. Candyce Wheeler over the summer became the Bearettes’ fourth head coach in as many seasons.
““The other years, I wouldn’t say that we were bought in,” Patrick said. “We were disciplined this year and we changed a lot of our bad habits.”
“Last year, it was half bought in and the others didn’t,” said Emaree Gober, who finished with 11 points, four assists and a steal. “This year, everybody bought in.”
Wheeler, a former Louisville star who started her coaching career 10 years ago in the college ranks under U of L’s Jeff Walz, was an assistant last season at the University of Buffalo.
Now she’s guided the Bearettes back to a place they’re accustomed to being: the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
“It’s been the goal from day one when I met with them in the cafeteria at Butler, we talked about this,” Wheeler said. “We talked about winning the region. It wasn’t easy. They’ve been through four coaches in four years — that’s not easy. And I told them it wasn’t gonna be an easy transition, but they believed and they trusted the process, and we’re moving on.”
Notes
▪ Butler has won the Sixth Region 10 times this century, more than any other team. It improved to 8-2 in first-round games in that span. The Bearettes’ last loss was to Henderson County in the 2010 Sweet 16.
▪ Anderson County made its fourth appearance in five seasons. Its last two trips ended at the hands of the eventual state champion, Sacred Heart.
This story was originally published March 13, 2024 at 9:29 PM.