PINE TWP - Butler had the lead, the basketball and a timeout.

Almost.

With her team leading 51-49, the Golden Tornado's Amy Achesinski went to the floor to secure a loose ball in the offensive zone and signaled for a timeout while sitting down, the ball in her lap, with less than a minute to play.

The official ruled a jump ball instead of granting the timeout. Possession went to Pine-Richland and Annie Zopf converted a three-point play with 24 seconds left to give the Rams girls basketball team a 52-51 victory Friday.

The loss spoiled a valiant effort by undermanned Butler, which lost junior forward Samantha Karns for the season with a torn ACL suffered Tuesday at New Castle and senior point guard Kelly Miller to a knee injury suffered late in the first quarter Friday.

"I'm heartbroken for these girls," Butler coach Dorothea Epps said. "I'm so proud of them. We may have lost the game, but we gained so much more in heart and character.

"Amy called timeout. It was a heads-up play by a sophomore. The ref saw it. He just didn't give it to her."

The Tornado (9-9, 3-5) didn't get off another shot. They inbounded the ball underneath Pine-Richland's basket with six seconds left, but the Rams (12-3, 6-2) tied up a loose ball and took possession with 1.9 seconds remaining to clinch a come-from-behind win.

Pine-Richland trailed 40-32 - its biggest deficit of the night - entering the fourth quarter.

"We hit some big shots to get back in it, then some big plays at the end to win it," Rams coach Sherri McConnell said. "Our character was tested tonight."

The Rams' Kylie Miller sank a 3-pointer on the first possession of the final quarter, then added a free throw seconds later. Kelly Slingwine stuck back an offensive rebound with six minutes left to pull Pine-Richland within two.

Rachel Barry responded for the Tornado by sinking layups with 1:35 and 1:07 remaining, the latter giving her team a 49-44 lead.

Ashley Boys hit a baseline jumper for the Rams, but Maria Baroffio nailed two free throws for Butler, giving the Tornado a 51-46 lead with 49 seconds left.

Slingwine sank a trey with 38 seconds left before Baroffio missed the front end of a one-and-one with 35 seconds to go. Achesinski's recovery of the ball followed shortly thereafter.

Achesinski led the Tornado with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

"She tried carrying this team on her back," Epps said. "She played like a senior. After Kelly went down, she took control out there."

Miller's knee - already contained in a brace - gave out with nine seconds left in the first quarter. She crumpled to the floor while dribbling the basketball.

Helped to the bench and tended to by a trainer, Miller tried returning to action with 5:31 left in the first half. Just 25 seconds later, she crumpled to the floor again and had to be carried off the court.

"I don't know her status right now," Epps said. "She's not moving around on it well right now, I know that."

Barry and Ashley Nocera scored eight points each for Butler. Kelley Crater had five of the team's 37 rebounds. Of the three, only Nocera started the game.

"We devised a game plan coming in, not knowing, of course, we'd lose Kelly," Epps said. "Even when we did, the girls never deviated from that plan. They played their hearts out."

Kylie Miller paced Pine-Richland with 17 points and eight rebounds while Slingwine added 17 points and seven boards. The duo combined to hit six treys.

Zopf, the Rams' leading scorer this year with 15.2 points per game, had 10 points and six rebounds Friday.

Butler had 16 turnovers to Pine-Richland's 10. The Rams remained unbeaten on their home floor.

"Butler has a lot to be proud of," McConnell said. "Those girls lost their leader and never quit going after it.

"They had a lot of young girls on the floor. But they didn't play like they were young."

BUTLER 51

Rachel Barry 4-5 0-2 8, Kelly Miller 2-4 0-0 4, Liz Schultz 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Nocera 3-3 0-0 8, Kelley Crater 1-4 0-0 2, Amy Achesinski 9-16 1-3 19, Maria Baroffio 0-3 2-3 2, Julie Ehrman 1-4 0-0 2, Michelle Ritchey 3-6 0-0 6. Totals: 23-45 3-9 51

PINE-RICHLAND 52

Ashley Boys 1-6 0-1 2, Kelly Slingwine 6-7 2-2 17, Kylie Miller 5-20 4-6 17, Amanda Reed 1-7 0-0 2, Liza Mergenthaler 2-7 0-0 4, Annie Zopf 2-11 5-6 10. Totals: 17-58 11-15 52

3-point goals:

Nocera 2; Slingwine 3, Miller 3, Zopf

JV:

Butler, 32-26 (B-Karissa King 14, P-R-Amanda Reed 9

Monday:

Butler @ North Allegheny