Kentucky girls basketball Sweet 16: What to know about Bullitt East-Bethlehem game
Here's what to know about the matchup between Bethlehem and Bullitt East at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls' Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
Bethlehem Banshees
Coach: Jason Clark
Record: 23-7
Location: Bardstown
Region: Fifth
Enrollment: 250
Sweet 16 trips: Third (1-2 record)
Last trip to State: 2021, lost to Marshall County 58-51 in quarterfinals
What to look for: Not a lot was expected from a Banshees squad that graduated Ella Thompson and Amelia Hodges off last year’s team that reached the Sweet 16 quarterfinals. But after a 3-5 start, Bethlehem is 20-2 and survived the Fifth Region Tournament by winning three games by a combined 15 points. At 6 feet, junior Emma Filiatreau (13.1 ppg) is the only starter taller than 5-7 and likely will get the defensive call against 6-6 Bullitt East center Gracie Merkle, though Clark said his team thrives defensively with its 3-2 zone. Bethlehem’s Xavi Smalley (13.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg) was having a strong junior year but left the program last month.
Girls Sweet 16: Check out the schedule for this week's tournament
Key player: Sophomore guard Carlie Thurmond is Bethlehem’s top scorer (13.3) and top 3-point shooter (47 of 102, 46.1%). “Carlie is just a sophomore, but she’s something special,” Clark said. “She’s a competitor and a tremendous athlete.”
Coach-speak: “I knew we would probably take some lumps at the start, but I knew I had enough talent there to be competitive. It all came together real nice for us. … We’re definitely going to have our hands full, but my girls are ready.”
Starters
5 – Ashlyn Miles
5-7, Soph., 5.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg
13 – Carlie Thurmond
5-4, Soph., 13.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg
15 – Kasey Spalding
5-5, Sr., 9.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg
24 – Emma Filiatreau
6-0, Jr., 13.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg
33 – Bailey Bishop
5-7, Sr., 4.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Reserves
2 – Tessa Miles
5-4, Fr., 2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
4 – Kensey Clayton
5-5, Soph., 1.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Girls' Sweet 16: Ranking the field, from No. 16 to No. 1
Bullitt East Chargers
Coach: Chris Stallings
Record: 30-4
Location: Mount Washington
Region: Sixth
Enrollment: 1,453
Sweet 16 trips: Fifth (1-3 record)
Last trip to State: 2021, lost to Bethlehem 70-65 in first round
What to look for: The Chargers are hopeful a third straight trip to the Sweet 16 will end with a state championship this time around. The first-round matchup against Bethlehem is a rematch from last year’s first round, a game the Banshees won 70-65. Senior Emma Egan, the team’s No. 2 scorer and rebounder, has a stress fracture in her right leg but has chosen to play through the pain. The draw appears favorable, so expect Bullitt East to be playing on the final day of the season.
Key player: Gracie Merkle (17.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg), a 6-foot-6 senior center, earned Sixth Region Player of the Year honors and leads the state in field-goal percentage at 71.7%. The Bellarmine University signee is nearly automatic when she gets the ball near the rim. “She’s more of a leader this year,” Stallings said. “She’s talking a lot on defense.”
Coach-speak: “Last year at the state tournament, we had a few rough spots and really played individually,” Stallings said. “That’s not our strength, and it never has been. Going into it, I feel confident our kids are going to pull together and be ready to go. They feel like they left there (last year) with some unfinished business.”
Starters
10 – Emma Egan
5-8, Sr., 12.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg
11 – Anna Rodgers
5-10, Soph., 7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg
22 – Jada Hughes
5-9, Soph., 6.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg
24 – Gracie Merkle
6-6, Sr., 17.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg
32 – Lilly Reid
5-8, Jr., 9.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Girls' Sweet 16: Top scorers, rebounders, 3-point shooters and more
Reserves
4 – Logan Ortega
5-7, Jr., 4.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
33 – Haleigh Mason
6-2, Sr., 2.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA Girls' Sweet 16: What to know about Bullitt East-Bethlehem game