Beech Tree News Network

Both Butler County basketball teams got back on the winning track on Friday night with a pair of home wins over 12th District foe Whitesville Trinity.  The Bears started the evening with an 80-58 win over the Raiders. In the nightcap, the Lady Bears cruised to a 59-32 win over the Lady Raiders.  The wins put both teams with
a 1-1 district record.  

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With four players in double figures, a trademark of this Butler County team, the Bears broke open a relatively close game through three quarters and turned it into an 80-58 rout of visiting Whitesville Trinity.  Trinity got on the board first with a three-point play but the Bears wasted no time in responding.  Baskets by John Payton, Zack Burden, Blake Graham, Caleb Deweese, Kendall Cardwell and Rex Henderson paced the home team's early offensive play.

Leading 15-10 after the first quarter, freshmen guard Will Moore sparked the Bears off the bench with back-to-back three pointers to start the second quarter.  Not to be outdone, Baylee Anderson and Rex Henderson drilled their own three pointers to cap 14 unanswered points. Later in the quarter, Payton and Deweese each hit three pointers to help give the Bears a 42-28 halftime advantage.  Despite a three by Burden and baskets by Moore, Anderson, and free throws by Graham, the Raiders narrowed the gap a bit in the third quarter by outscoring the Bears 18-13.  However, Butler County closed the door hard in the fourth quarter with a dominant 25-12 performance.

Multiple baskets by Zack Burden, along with several free throws, led the Bears' scoring.  Meanwhile, Moore sank another three and baskets by Graham, Anderson, and Austin Nave off the bench proved to be more than enough for the win.  

Zack Burden led the Bears in scoring with 21 points.  Will Moore had 13 points off the bench.  Graham and Henderson had 10 points apiece. Trinity placed three players in double-figures.  Allen Howe led the way with 25 points.  Dakota Wathen had 16 and Daniel Morris added 11 points.   

WT        10    18    18    12        58

BC          15    27    13    25        80

Butler County (80):  Burden 21, Moore 13, Graham 10, Henderson 10, Anderson 9, Deweese 6, Payton 5, Nave 4, Cardwell 2.  

 
Trinity (58);  Howe 25, Wathen 16, Morris 11, Hook 4, Howard 2.  

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The Butler County Lady Bears took care of business in the second game of the evening despite trailing 17-14 after the first quarter.  A three pointer by Allie Easley and baskets by Addison Hall, Shawna West, and Kasidy Graham kept the game close.  Quick baskets by West and Cheyenne White in the second quarter pushed the Lady Bears to an 18-17 advantage - a lead they would never relinquish.  Butler County finished the quarter with seven straight points - a basket by Hall, a three by West and a basket by Graham on a nice assist from West.  The Lady Bears led 30-20 at the half.  

Butler County's offense rolled on in the third quarter with two quick baskets by West and one by Hall on an assist from White.  Maddie Murphy and Madison Ford added to the Lady Bears' third quarter margin.  A three by West, followed by a pair of free throws, gave Butler a commanding 49-23. Free throws by Karson Inscoe and Hall in the fourth quarter and a couple of baskets by Ford extended the Lady Bears' lead to 57-24 - it largest margin of the game.  The Lady Bears went on to win 59-32. Senior guard Shawna West led the Lady Bears in scoring with 20 points; Addison Hall added 12.  Nina Wathen led Trinity with 20 points.

WT        17    3    3    9        32
BC         14   16  19  10       59

Butler County (59):  West 20, Hall 12, Easley 7, Graham 6, Ford 6, Murphy 4, White 2, Inscoe 2.  

Trinity (32):  Wathen 20, Morris 5, Armes 4, Kinsey 3.

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In other recent basketball action, the Butler County boys' team defeated Glasgow at home on Saturday, January 10, 79-52.  The Bears dominated three of the four quarters to cruise to victory.  Butler County had three players in double figures with Zack Burden leading the way with 26 points.  Rex Henderson had 17 points and Caleb Deweese added 12.

GHS        6    13    20    13        52
BC          16   24    26    13        79

Butler County (79):  Burden 26, Henderson 17, Deweese 12, K. Cardwell 7, Anderson 5, Graham 5, G.

Cardwell 3, Martin 2, Payton 2.  

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Earlier last week, on Monday, January 5, Butler dropped a 65-54 decision at Logan County.  Leading by two a the half, 31-29, the Bears let the second half get away from them and were outscored 36-15.  Zack Burden was the only Butler County player in double figures with 19 points.  

BC        15    16    9    6        54
LC        13    16   21  15       65

Butler County (54):  Burden 19, Moore 9, Henderson 8, Anderson 6, Nave 4, K. Cardwell 4, Deweese 2,

Graham 2.
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Last night, Monday, January 12, Butler County fell at home to Frederick Fraize High School (Cloverport) 61-55 in overtime.  The Bears fell behind early 12-4 and trailed by five at the half but battled back in the second half.  Trailing 37-36 after three quarters, Butler grabbed its first lead at 39-38 with 6:17 remaining in regulation play.  With both teams tied at 50 apiece, the 4:00 overtime period went the Aces' way as they outscored the Bears 11-5 to secrue the win.  Burden had 20 points for the Bears and Henderson added 11.

FF        12    15    10    15    11        61
BC         4     18    14    14     5         55

Butler County (55):  Burden 20, Henderson 11, Anderson 8, Graham 8, Moore 3, K. Cardwell 2, Deweese 2, Nave 1.  

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The Butler County Bears (6-10, 1-1) will return to action tonight, Tuesday, January 8, at Franklin-Simpson.  They will travel to Grayon County on Friday for a 12th District boy-girl doubleheader.  

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Recent Lady Bears action includes games againt Breckinridge County on January 5, Logan County on January 6, and Apollo on January 12.  Breck took a 21-12 first quarter lead and built on it en route to a 76-47 win over the Lady Bears.  Allie Easley led the Lady Bears in scoring with 12 points.  

BR        21    31    11    13        76
BC        12    14     9     12        47

Butler County (47):  Easley 12, Hall 8, White 7, Murphy 6, West 3, C.Cardwell 3, M. Cardwell 2, Ford 2, Inscoe 2, Graham 2.

Breckinridge County (76):  Grimes 17, Young 14, Collins 13, Hinton 11, Payne 7, O'Reilly 6, Lucas 4, Jeffries 2, Shrewsberry 2.  
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Against Logan County, offensive woes continued to plague the Lady Bears as they fell 54-19 on the road.  Addison Hall, Callie Cardwell, and Karson Inscoe each had five points and Allie Easley had four points to round out the Butler County scoring.  

BC        5    5    4    5        19
LC       22  16   10   6        54

Butler County returned travelled to Apollo on Monday, January 12.  The Lady Bears fell 52-33.  Butler County trailed 11-9 after the first quarter but fell behind a little more after each quarter before falling to the E-Gals.  Maddie Murpy led the Lady Bears in scoring with 11 points.  She also had 11 rebounds.

BC           9    4    9    11        33
AHS         11  10  15   16        52

Butler County (33):  Murphy 11, Hall 9, West 4, C. Cardwell 4, Easley 3, White 2.

Apollo (52):  Hall 21, Hodges 14, Shelton 5, Moss 4, Ferguson 4, Bradley 3, Patel 1.   

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The Butler County Lady Bears (2-13, 1-1) will wrap up the week on Friday night at 12th District rival Grayson County in a boy-girl doubleheader.  

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Story by John Embry; photos by Jeremy Hack, Beech Tree News.