Battle-tested by pandemic and state’s best teams, Bullitt East starts fast in Sweet 16
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2022 Girls’ Sweet 16 coverage
Click below to read all of the coverage from Kentucky.com and the Lexington Herald-Leader during the Girls’ Sweet 16 State Basketball Tournament in Rupp Arena.
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Bullitt East won its first girls’ basketball state tournament game in 2020. It didn’t get an opportunity to win another that year, though, because the event was halted — and eventually canceled — following the fifth first-round game.
The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and so too are the Chargers: they defeated Bethlehem, 67-50, in the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16 on Wednesday. Barring another historic postponement, they’ll make their quarterfinals debut against Meade County on Friday, two years to the date of their first-round win in 2020.
“It was a tough day for players and coaches when we didn’t get to play two years ago,” Bullitt East head coach Chris Stallings said.
The Chargers had an opportunity to return to the state quarterfinals last season but fell in the first round to the Banshees; Bethlehem got the better of Bullitt East in a 70-65 thriller in 2021. They hoped to get their revenge in the regular season, but a potential meeting in the Queen of the Commonwealth tournament didn’t materialize and winter weather eliminated a scheduled meeting on a neutral court (Bowling Green).
This year’s bout was just as tense through one half — the Chargers led 21-19 at intermission — but Bullitt East used a 10-2 burst in the third period to build a double-digit edge that Bethlehem couldn’t overcome. The Banshees got to within single digits a couple times, and trailed by nine with 3:50 to play, but the Chargers’ size and shot-making proved overwhelming this time.
Gracie Merkle, a 6-foot-6 center who’s signed with Bellarmine University, had 24 points (11-of-16 shooting), 15 rebounds and four blocks for the Chargers. Lilly Reid scored 21 points (8-for-12 shooting) and dished out five assists.
“They kind of avoided us all season but it was good to be able to play them, because we had unfinished business last year,” said Reid. “We were the better team, but it was good to come back and prove ourselves this year.”
Stallings laughed in response to Reid’s reflection on last year’s outcome. There was a stark contrast between that last meeting and this one, in his mind.
“It was one of the last things we said (pregame),” Stallings said. “When we come back to the locker room, we don’t want to have to write down in our notes that they were tougher than we were. That’s something we had to do last year. I was proud of our kids, how tough, especially defensively, they played.”
Bullitt East shot almost 50 percent from the floor (27 of 56) while holding the Banshees to a 19-of-50 mark. Emma Filiatreau had 14 points to lead Bethlehem (23-7).
Meade County, which clawed back from a 16-point deficit to win its first-round game against Boyd County, will be revenge-minded when it plays the Chargers. The Green Wave lost a home game to them in the 2020-21 season and fell in overtime, 69-65, in Mount Washington on Feb. 7. Meade standout Peyton Bradley, a freshman, hit a shot to force that overtime period a month ago.
Bullitt East is as battle-tested as any team in this year’s field. In addition to Meade County, the Chargers have played tournament participants Southwestern (73-61 win), Franklin County (55-39 win) and Bowling Green (66-51 loss). They’ve also met defending state champion Sacred Heart three times this season, losing twice, and are the only team in the Sweet 16 that’s beaten the Valkyries. Bullitt East beat the only other in-state team to topple them, Mercy, in the 6th Region championship game.
“They’re going to be scrappy and spread us out defensively,” Stallings said of Meade County. “But it helps that we’ve already played.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 6:15 PM.
