Leah Macy and Mercy beat Bullitt East in thriller for Sixth Region girls basketball title

Mercy girls basketball needed every one of Leah Macy's 24 points and 22 rebounds Saturday as the Jaguars won the Sixth Region championship, beating a gritty Bullitt East team 54-51 in overtime.

The 6-foot-2 forward, one of the top sophomores in the country, came down with a huge offensive rebound off a missed free throw with 7 seconds left in the extra period. Macy then sank her own free throw with 3.5 seconds left to ice the game.

The stats don’t really tell the whole story, though. She played all 36 minutes and took on more ballhandling responsibilities as fellow sophomore Alyssa Murphy sat out the second half due to her knee injury that has her on a minutes restriction since returning Monday following a six-game absence.

“It didn’t always go her way either,” Jaguars coach Nick Cann said. “So, she just kept her head in it. She kept grinding it out.”

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With the Chargers (22-11) constantly doubling her, Macy made just 3 of 16 shots, but she cashed in at the line, making 18 of 22. She also grabbed 10 rebounds off the offensive glass, helping the Jaguars outscore Bullitt East 18-2 on second-chance points.

Mercy led comfortably for most of the game, despite only shooting 22.4%. But they had to withstand a furious fourth-quarter rally by Bullitt East, which trailed 34-22 with 7:39 left in regulation, to end the Chargers’ three-year reign as regional champs and avenge last year’s title-game loss.

Lilly Reid’s runner in the lane with 18 seconds to play in the fourth quarter tied the game at 44, the first tie since the second minute of the game. The Chargers got the first bucket of the extra period, but Macy scored five in OT — all from the line — to help Mercy survive the scare.

Macy even showcased her ballhandling and passing skills in the extra period, throwing a perfect three-quarters court pass to Mary Smith for a layup that extended the Jaguars' lead to 50-46 with 2:09 left. Conn described it as a "no, no, no, yes" play, but it's also indicative of how Macy's played the last few weeks in leading the team. She's averaging a double-double during the postseason and nearly 30 points a game.

Macy said losing Murphy in the second half hurt, especially with how the Chargers defended.

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“But we stayed composed with our defense,” she said. “And we just kept going.”

Now the Jaguars (24-9) are going to Lexington next week for the KHSAA Sweet 16, where they will face the Ninth Region champion No. 8 Cooper, which beat third-ranked Ryle 48-42, at 6 p.m. Thursday.

It’s Mercy’s first state tournament appearance since 2019. Macy made the tournament the following year as a seventh-grade reserve playing for Elizabethtown.

“I’m the only one that’s ever been to Rupp (Arena),” Macy said. “So, for our seniors, this is a huge deal for us. Last year, we fell short, and this year, we got on my back, we took care of business, and we got through it.”

Mary Smith added 13 in the victory for Mercy.

Reid scored 20 points, and Madelyn Curtsinger added 11 to lead Bullitt East, which shot just 35.3%. But the Chargers made 6 of 9 in the fourth quarter to extend their season for four more minutes.

“I thought our girls did an excellent job game planning,” Bullitt East coach Chris Stallings said. “They did an excellent job of carrying it out. We’ve never asked them to be perfect, and we weren’t going to start today.”

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Mercy senior and Ohio University commit Emma Barnett scored her 1,000 point on a 3-pointer.

After winning its third straight regional title, Bullitt East lost two Division I college players — Emma Egan and Gracie Merkle — from a team that made the state final last year. Stalling said the team never talked about making it four straight.

Instead, he said, the Chargers’ focus was on improving through the season and getting back to the regional final.

“All you can hope for is the ball bounces your way,” he said. “And sometimes tonight, I thought there were a few things, maybe loose balls or things that (Mercy) came up with that just didn’t bounce our way.”

MERCY               15          10          7            12          10 - 54

BULLITT EAST    9            5            8            22          7 - 51

Mercy (24-9) – Addison Becker 4, Mary Smith 13, Alyssa Murphy 4, Emma Barnett 9, Leah Macy 24.

Bullitt East (22-11) – Madelyn Curtsinger 11, Logan Ortega 7, Anna Rodgers 5, Lilly Reid 20, Mollie Johnston 8.

All-tournament team – Leah Macy, Emma Barnett, Mary Smith (Mercy); Lilly Reid, Logan Ortega (Bullitt East); Anieja Russell (Butler); Savannah Shawver (Holy Cross); Breanna Jones (Pleasure Ridge Park); Haley Dillman (Bullitt Central); Addy Soutar (North Bullitt).

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA Sixth Region girls basketball: Mercy over Bullitt East for title