BUTLER TWP — Back and forth, here and there.

The lead changed hands six times, the score was tied seven times and neither team ever led by more than five points.

That is, until Butler's defense — the stingiest unit in WPIAL Class 6A — shut out Seneca Valley in the final five minutes on its way to a 47-37 Section 1 girls basketball victory Monday night.

“I was an offensive player. I like to score points,” Butler coach Mark Maier said. “But defense is the benchmark of this team.”

A three-point play by Jenna Kunst broke the game's final tie at 35 with 5:41 to play. A pair of free throws by McKenna Gross pulled the visiting Raiders (6-6, 2-3) within 38-37 with 5:05 to play.

They did not score again.

“The difference was mental toughness,” SV coach Rob Lombardo said. “We lack it. You can handle a loss if you know your team played hard.

“I don't feel like we played hard down the stretch. We were soft. That should be our team's slogan ... soft.”

The Golden Tornado (7-5, 3-2) didn't score for a couple of minutes themselves until Alyssa Eyth canned a lay-up with 3:05 remaining. Butler added a couple of free throws after that. The game wasn't put away until Mia Rader completed a three-point play with 43 seconds left, giving her team a 45-37 edge.

“We really wanted this game. We wanted it bad,” Rader said. “This is a big one in the section for us.

“They key to our defense? We're gritty. We love to get in people's faces and just play.”

Butler entered the game allowing just 37.1 points per game, tops in Class 6A.

“Nicole Pepmyer did great job on McKenna Gross tonight,” Maier said. “We know she (Gross) brings a high volume of shots and we wanted to limit her in that regard.”

Gross scored 11 points for the Raiders, but sank just three of 12 shots from the floor. Gretchen Koken paced Seneca Valley with 16 points, three assists and three steals.

“We have a young team and their seniors pushed us around down the stretch,” Lombardo said. “Until we learn to respond in situations like that, we're not going to win games on the road.”

Kunst led Butler with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Julia Gibson came off the bench to score nine points.

Eyth had eight points, four rebounds and three assists, Rader eight points, and Pepmyer seven points and four assists.

“We faced some adversity tonight with Alyssa getting three fouls in the first half,” Maier said. “She did a good job of avoiding fouls the rest of the way.

“We hit 10 of 12 free throws in the second half. That was big for us, too.”

Butler and Seneca Valley play non-section games later this week. The Tornado travel to Latrobe Thursday while the Raiders host Penn Trafford Saturday.

SENECA VALLEY 37

Gretchen Koken 6-11 3-6 16, Haley Cramer 1-7 0-0 2, Maddie Karchut 2-5 2-4 6, McKenna Gross 3-12 5-5 11, Hannah Thompson 0-3 0-0 0, Karlie Martin 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 13-41 10-15 37.

BUTLER 47

Nicole Pepmyer 3-4 1-1 7, Mia Rader 3-5 1-2 8, Emma Monteleone 0-0 0-0 0, Alyssa Eyth 3-6 2-3 8, Jordan Kauffman 0-5 2-2 2, Jenna Kunst 4-8 4-5 13, Julia Gibson 2-2 5-6 9, Emilee Altman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 15-30 15-19 47.

Seneca Valley 7 14 12 4 — 37

Butler10 8 17 12 — 47

3-point goals: Koken; Rader, Kunst

JV: Butler, 34-23 (SV: Jaden Davensizer 9, B: Jordan Kauffman 22)

Thursday: Latrobe at Butler

Saturday: Penn Trafford at Seneca Valley