BUTLER TWP — The game wasn't going well for Butler.

With 2:53 remaining and the Golden Tornado trailing by 13, it suddenly didn't matter.

Senior guard Heidi Gross fell to the floor hard, banging the back of her head as she landed. The game was delayed for nearly 30 minutes while paramedics arrived and took her out of the gym on a stretcher.

The game continued, with Franklin Regional posting a non-section 42-32 girls basketball win at Butler Tuesday night.

“It was mainly precautionary,” Butler coach Mark Maier said as Gross was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital. “Heidi was alert, but she would flinch when the paramedics touched the back of her head. She was moving all of her limbs, so it was nothing like that.

“She had a concussion last year that ended the rest of her season, so everyone was being careful ... The thing is, it's a traumatic scene, very emotional.

“At that point, no one wants to play, I didn't want to coach, you're quickly reminded that there are so many things more important than a basketball game, like health and your teammates” Maier added.

The game was physical most of the night. The Panthers took the lead for good at 7-6 when Cali Konek sank a layup with 2:56 left in the opening quarter.

Franklin Regional (2-1) never got a double digit lead until a Jordan Yaniga layup gave the visitors a 34-24 edge with seconds left in the third quarter.

“We hung in there and stayed competitive before it finally got away from us,” Maier said. “They (Panthers) were aggressive and physical on defense. I don't think our girls were ready for that and that's my fault.”

Butler (2-1) sank 11 field goals and committed 20 turnovers.

Franklin Regional coach Anthony Kobus expressed surprise that the final 2:53 of the game was played. His team had a 40-27 lead at the time.

“It did surprise me we bothered to finish,” he said. “You hate to see a girl get carried out of the gym. Nobody wants to see that. It was hard for both teams to finish.”

The Panthers started five seniors and have three starters back from last season. Yaniga scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five steals.

Konek scored 14 points, sinking four treys.

“Jordan is a versatile player who does a lot of things for us,” Kobus said. “She can get to the hoop, plays great defense and rebounds well.

“I thought the officials let this one get out of hand a little bit, but we persevered and survived it.”

Maier admitted that the inside-outside combination of Yaniga and Konek “was hard for us to handle.”

The Tornado sank just six of 14 shots from the foul line in the contest.

“Just a terrible game for us,” Maier said. “But you learn from your losses. It's better this came in a non-section game.

“The turnovers were way too many. When you give away possessions, you give away chances to score.”

Jordan Kauffman paced Butler with 10 points, all in the first half. Emilee Altman scored eight points and Alison Altman grabbed eight rebounds.

Butler travels to Fox Chapel Friday night to begin section play.

FRANKLIN REGIONAL 42

Kaitlyn Carr 0-3 0-0 0, Courtney Giles 1-3 0-1 3, Cali Konek 5-12 0-0 14, Jordan Yaniga 7-18 2-4 16, Alex Reitz 2-4 0-0 4, Noelle Boyd 0-2 0-0 0, Brooke Leopold 1-2 0-1 2, Maria Brush 0-0 0-0 0, Angel Kelly 1-1 0-0 3, Kathryn Nardo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-45 2-6 42.

BUTLER 32

Sarayne Forbes 1-1 0-0 3, Julia Gibson 1-2 0-2 2, Jordan Kauffman 4-10 0-0 10, Emma Monteleone 1-4 2-2 4, Alison Altman 2-4 1-5 5, Sydney Hanratty 0-1 0-0 0, Hailey Metzger 0-3 0-1 0, Emilee Altman 2-6 3-4 8, Heidi Gross 0-0 0-0 0, Anna Michalek 0-0 0-0 0, Makenna Maier 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 11-32 6-14 32.

Franklin Reg. 14 11 9 8 — 42

Butler9 8 7 8 — 32

3-point goals: Giles, Konek 4, Kelly; Forbes, Kauffman 2, E.Altman

JV: Butler, 49-44 (FR: Kathryn Nardo 13, Angel Kelly 12; B: Sarayne Forbes 17, Makenna Maier 16)

Friday: Butler at Fox Chapel