BUTLER TWP - Four possessions don't tell the whole story, but they sure created a sour ending for the Butler girls basketball team Monday.

With the Golden Tornado trailing Pine-Richland 44-43 late in the fourth quarter, Butler saw two straight possessions end with shots falling off the rim.

The next two trips down the floor were snuffed out by turnovers.

Pine-Richland took advantage of the Butler's misfortune, turning a one-point lead into a 52-46 win in the Section 3-AAAA opener for both teams.

"Execution down the stretch was the difference," said Butler coach Dorothea Epps. "We turned the ball over two straight times late in the game.

"(Turnovers) have been our Achilles heel so far this year," added Epps.

At the other end of the court, the Rams took exceptional care of the basketball, committing just four turnovers.

"Our girls handled the ball well," said Rams coach Sherri McConnell. "They didn't make key mistakes in pressure situations."

Butler trailed 42-36 with 6:39 remaining when Pine-Richland was called for a technical foul for having two coaches standing in front of the bench.

The Tornado's Kelly Miller, who was making her return from a strained right knee, drained both free throws before Amy Achesinski added one point from the line on the ensuing possession to cut the Rams' lead to 42-39.

Achesinski led Butler with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Miller added 13 points.

"Getting Kelly back into action was a positive for us tonight," said Epps.

Pine-Richland senior Annie Zopf was a thorn in Butler's side all night long. The fourth-year starter scored 18 points, including three 3-point goals. Each one thwarted Butler's chances to sustain momentum.

"I thought we played decent defense tonight," said Epps. "But in the first half, we gave up too many easy shots. If you give a shooter confidence, they'll just keep going to her."

"Annie knows when she steps on the floor that the other team will be keying on her," said McConnell. "But she is up to that challenge."

With Achesinski scoring eight points, Butler (2-3, 0-1) held a 14-13 lead after one period.

But Zopf scored nine of her points in the second quarter to put her team up 27-24 by the end of the half.

The Rams (5-1, 1-0) had just one turnover in the first two periods.

Kylie Miller had a strong game for the Rams, scoring 17 points, while Samantha Karns added 11 points for Butler.

"Our section is a war," said McConnell. "It's a battle every night. Hopefully, we can sustain this kind of performance throughout the season."

PINE-RICHLAND 52

Kylie Miller 4 9-15 17, Annie Zopf 7 1-3 18, Kelly Slingwine 1 4-4 6, Liza Mergenthaler 4 0-0 9, Amanda Reed 0 2-2 2, Ashley Kuban 0 0-3 0, Ashley Boys 0 0-0 0, Stephanie Lasinski 0 0-0 0.Totals: 16 16-27 52.

BUTLER 46

Kelly Miller 4 5-6 13, Samantha Karns 4 3-4 11, Amy Achesinski 6 6-9 18, Rachel Barry 2 0-0 4, Julie Erhman 0 0-0 0, Ashley Nocera 0 0-0 0, Michelle Ritchey 0 0-0 0, Maria Baroffio 0 0-0 0, Liz Schultz 0 0-0 0, Karissa King 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 14-19 46.

3-point goals:

Zopf 3, Mergenthaler.

JV:

Butler 36-31 (B-Abby Herrit, Karissa King, Jenn Lesniewski 6; P-R-Amanda Reed 12)

Thursday:

Butler @ Las Vegas Tournament