Blogs > Run to the Sun - Girls Basketball in CT

Follow all the nhregister.com coverage of girls high school basketball throughout the state on their way to Mohegan Sun Arena, the site of this year's championship weekend, March 19-20.

Monday, December 28, 2009

No Keeping Her Off the Court

Sheehan senior Bre Butler missed the first quarter, while receiving treatment at a specialist for her injured back. She returned to the Titans gymnasium, making it back in time for the second quarter and still managed to score 15 points in a win over Hamden earlier this year.

Then there’s the time from last season when the Titans lost to Wilbur Cross. Following a disheartening 15-mile bus ride back to Sheehan, all Butler wanted to do was play more basketball. So she spent the next couple of hours in the gym working on her game.

There is also the story of how Butler came back from reconstructive knee surgery in eight months. It usually takes nine months to a year.

So with her obvious passion and drive for basketball, it’s no surprise Butler is off to an admirable start this season.

“She works like a maniac,” Sheehan coach Mike Busillo said. “Sometimes I need her to tone it down during the season.”

Butler is among the most reliable players in the area right now. She is averaging 16.5 points per game and her season low has been 14 points. She is also grabbing 10.5 rebounds and dishing out four assists per contest.

Butler injured her knee during a summer-league game entering her sophomore year. She missed all of her sophomore season and began showing glimpses of her potential midway through last year. Butler averaged 16 points through the final 10 games, and poured in 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Berlin in an opening round game of the state tournament.

Busillo said her hard work that it took to recover from her knee injury, spilled over into the classroom. Once struggling with her grades, she is now an honor-roll student.

As for on the court, Butler doesn’t seem to have any lingering effects from the injury. She slashes her way through opposing defenses, can stick the mid-range jumper and crashes the boards relentlessly.

“The knee injury changed me as an athlete and as a person,” Butler said. “I always worked hard, but it pushed me to do more and to do better. Now I test my limits and keep going.”

And it doesn’t seem there will be any stopping Butler.

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