BGHS REMAINS UNBEATEN IN FOUR GAMES
The roles are still being defined and everyone understands there will be growing pains.
But the Bowling Green High School boys basketball team is showing promise in the early going, and the Purples used a 36-point second quarter to crush visiting Glasgow 97-42 on Thursday night at the BGHS Arena.
Senior point guard Turner Buttry led the Purples with a game-high 33 points, and first-year BGHS varsity player Curtis Lin added 16 as Bowling Green remained unbeaten in four games. Glasgow dropped to 2-2 with the loss.
Bowling Green, a Sweet Sixteen squad last season under veteran coach DG Sherrill, is evolving almost daily, and Sherrill likes the Purples’ tenacity and willingness to put in the work on the practice floor.
“We’re starting to figure ourselves out, a little bit,” Sherrill said.
That’s where Buttry comes in.
The 6-foot floor general had the hot hand in the second quarter and also did a fine job distributing the ball around the perimeter, forcing the Scotties to play at a frenetic pace and giving the Purples some confidence heading into Saturday’s game against Hopkinsville at South Warren High School.
“This team, I think we have something to prove,” Buttry said. “This is an unselfish team. We just play hard … I think we’re in a good spot.”
Buttry was more of a spoke in the wheel last season, when the Purples rolled all the way to the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen quarterfinals before falling to Ballard 61-53 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Sherrill could count on the slashing style of 6-foot-7 swingman Isaiah Mason and veterans across the board, while now he’s tinkering with the Purples’ chemistry on the floor and in the locker room.
“We’re fully aware of who we are,” Sherrill said. “I think the second quarter kind of tipped the scales for us. We kind of changed how Glasgow wanted to play. Our pressure seemed to bother them, in space … If you watch our kids, day to day, you can see there’s a lot of energy out there.”
Buttry and Lin fueled a 30-5 run to start the second quarter, and sophomore guard Makayelus Wardlow was effective along the baseline as the Purples took control.
Wardlow finished with 13 points, and 12 BGHS players scored in the game as Sherrill emptied his bench down the stretch.
Senior forward Sam Bowling led the Scotties with 15 points and teammate Christian Wenskowski finished with 12. Glasgow trailed 58-17 at halftime but found some scoring punch in the second half. Coach James Willett’s Scotties will have some time on the practice floor before resuming their schedule on Tuesday with a home game against Monroe County.
Curtis Lin could be the wild card for the Purples, as his outside shooting could take some of the pressure off Buttry, a third-year starter who has signed with Eastern Kentucky University.
“Curtis kind of got lost in the shuffle last year,” Sherrill said. “He’s just starting to realize his potential. He’s an NAIA (quality) guard. He’s working really well with Turner in the offense.”
Sherrill still believes Greenwood is the team to beat in the KHSAA’s 14th District, and he’s wary of archrival Warren Central, too. The Purples will play host to Greenwood (4-0) and star swingman Cade Stinnett on December 17, and they’ll tangle with Warren Central (3-0) on January 4, on the Dragons’ home floor.
“I think this team has something to prove,” Sherrill said.
