BUTLER TWP — Heading into halftime on a 13-4 run and trailing Pine-Richland by just three points, Butler was riding on a wave of momentum.

It was in stark contrast to the last time the two teams met when the Rams led 26-2 at the end of the first quarter and 38-12 at the half.

Even when Pine-Richland extended the lead to eight points quickly in the third quarter, Butler battled, but ultimately fell short, 58-48, at home Monday night.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the state for a reason,” said Butler coach Joe Lewandowski. “We played them the first time and we lost by 41 points. We come in here today, two weeks later, and we’ve made improvements.”

Butler had 29 turnovers in that first matchup; it had just 12 this time.

That allowed the Golden Tornado to hang close to the Rams, who were coming off their first loss of the season last week to North Allegheny.

“I knew coming up here it would be a different game,” said Pine-Richland coach Tom Reighard. “Their team is getting a whole lot better right now and playing up here is always tough. I told our players to expect a great game and it was a great game.”

Amanda Kalin certainly had a great game for Pine-Richland.

Kalin was the difference, scoring 12 points in the first quarter and finishing with a game-high 27.

She was 10-of-14 from the floor and hit four 3-pointers.

“I always believe we have the best player on the court in any game we play,” said Reighard of Kalin, who will attend Duquesne University next year. “She impresses me every night. She’s really hard to defend.”

Butler (10-7, 3-5) was able to corral Kalin in the second quarter, holding her to just two points which came on her only shot of the frame just before the half.

But the Golden Tornado couldn’t hold her in check in the second half as Kalin put the Rams on her shoulders.

“They have a player who I think is the best player in the state,” Lewandowski said of Kalin. “Maybe the best player we’ve seen in Western Pennsylvania in a long time. She just flat out said, ‘You know what, I’m going to make every big play.’”

Butler, though, hung with Pine-Richland and never let the Rams go on a sustained run.

The Golden Tornado trailed 47-30 early in the fourth quarter, but closed the gap to 49-41 with a little more than two minutes remaining.

Butler couldn’t get closer.

Jenna Kunst and Kylee Lewandowski each scored 13 to lead the Tornado and Alyssa Eyth added 10.

“Man, what effort they gave,” Lewandowski said. “They kept competing. They make a run, and we’d say, ‘stay with it, stay with it.’ The girls did a great job. I thought we had effort from every single girl who stepped on the court.”

For Pine-Richland (18-1, 7-1), it was important to bounce back from the loss to North Allegheny as well.

“How are you going to respond?” Reighard said. “How are you going to respond after a loss? We responded well.”

PINE-RICHLAND 58

Caitlyn Byerly 3-6 2-2 10, Gianna DeTemple 1-4 0-0 3, Taylor Brenner 0-2 0-0 0, Makenzie Jenkins 1-4 2-2 4, Amanda Kalin 10-14 3-6 27, Anna Jurkovec 4-11 1-2 9, Ari Goltz 1-2 0-0 3, Kayla Graf 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 20-44 8-12 58.

BUTLER 48

Mia Rader 1-3 0-0 3, Alyssa Eyth 4-12 1-2 10, Kylee Lewandowski 5-10 0-0 13, Jenna Kunst 3-12 6-6 13, Julia Gibson 2-5 0-1 4, Audrey Hilliard 0-1 0-0 0, Jordan Kaufman 0-1 0-0 0, Emilee Altman 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 16-47 7-9 48.

Pine-Richland 20 7 16 15 — 58

Butler11 13 6 18 — 48

3-point goals: Pine-Richland 8 (Byerly 2, DeTemple, Kalin 4, Goltz); Butler (Rader, Eyth, Lewandowski 3, Altman)

Thursday: Butler at North Allegheny