Girls LIT roundup: Central, Butler, Manual win first-round contests

Taylor Price scored 23 points, including two free throws with 2 seconds remaining, to lead Central High School girls basketball to a 62-59 victory over Pleasure Ridge Park on Tuesday in the first round of the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament at Valley.

Price hit five of 10 shots and 12 of 18 free throws while also pitching in five rebounds and two steals for the Yellow Jackets (13-4). Amaya Asher added 17 points and four assists as Central advanced to face No. 1-ranked Sacred Heart (17-1) at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in a second-round game.

Dayla Evans scored 17 points to lead PRP (13-8), which also got solid games from Diamond Taylor (12 points) and Mariah Jones (10 points).

Related coverage: What to know about the girls LIT at Valley 

Taylor’s free throw gave PRP a 45-39 lead with 7:53 remaining, but Central responded with a 12-2 run to take control. Price scored five points during the surge, including a basket that gave the Yellow Jackets a 51-47 lead with 4:27 left.

Jordan Scroggins’ 3-pointer pulled PRP within 60-59 with 8 seconds left, but Price sealed it with her final two free throws.

Butler 60, Eastern 19: Tiarra East scored 15 points, and Dynastee White added 14 points and seven rebounds to lead the No. 3 Bearettes (18-3) to a rout of the Eagles (5-17).

Butler built a 33-6 halftime and cruised into a second-round matchup with No. 7 Bullitt East (15-3) at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Related coverage: Assumption knocks off Male

Marissa Gasaway had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks to lead Eastern, which shot just 20% (7 of 35) and committed 19 turnovers.

Manual 65, Ballard 33: Jakayla Thomson had 14 points and four assists to lead the Crimsons (15-4) over the Bruins (7-14).

Thomson was one of four Crimsons to score in double figures, joining Kennedy Lee (12 points, 11 rebounds), Sydne Tolbert (11 points) and Daisha White (10 points, seven rebounds). Manual shot 51.1 percent (24 of 47) and won the rebounding battle 34-21.

The Crimsons advanced to face No. 5 Christian Academy (17-4) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in a second-round game.

Kiarah Carney scored 20 points to lead Ballard.  

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/jasonf.

PRP                      13          18          13          15 – 59

CENTRAL            14          12          13          23 – 62

PRP (13-8) – Chandler Duncan 8, Diamond Taylor 12, Neveah Gupton 2, Mariah Jones 10, Jordan Scroggins 8, Dayla Evans 17, Jeannae Bolin 2.

Central (13-4) – JaKyrra Bartlett 5, Dejah Armstrong 8, Amaya Asher 17, Wanda Stevenson 2, JaLa Douglas 7, Taylor Price 23.

EASTERN            4            2            8            5 - 19

BUTLER               15          18          19          8 - 60

Eastern (5-17) – Marissa Gasaway 12, Taylor Saettel 4, Halle Brewer 3.

Butler (18-3) – Chardrea Satori 4, Tiarra East 15, Dynastee White 14, Asia Morris 1, Kira Girton 4, Aries Harris 9, Tamesha Dozier 7, Mariah Knight 6.

BALLARD             13          3            10          7 – 33

MANUAL            13          19          16          17 – 65

Ballard (7-14) – Diamond Roach 2, Kiarah Carney 20, Emory Donaldson 4, McKenna Rice 5, Jasmine Johnson 2.

Manual (15-4) – Jakayla Thomson 14, Sydne Tolbert 11, Kennedy Lee 12, Jeanay Riley 6, Ayanna Stroud 2, Daisha White 10, Madison Brittle 8, Jazmine Chatman 2.

Wednesday’s LIT schedule

At Valley High School

Central vs. Sacred Heart, 3:30 p.m.; Butler vs. Bullitt East, 5 p.m.; Manual vs. Christian Academy, 6:30 p.m.; Assumption vs. Mercy, 8 p.m.