BUTLER TWP — Butler lost the ball, lost its 3-point shooter and lost the game.

The Golden Tornado girls were outscored 15-5 in the fourth quarter Friday night in dropping a 50-41 basketball decision to New Castle in a battle of Section 3-AAAA unbeatens.

The loss snapped Butler's eight-game winning streak.

Neither team ever had a double-digit lead and the 'Canes never led by more than three points until less than a minute remained.

"In a game like this, possessions are critical," Butler coach Dorothea Epps said. "We knew this was going to be a dogfight.

"Turnovers late in the game killed us."

New Castle (14-0, 7-0) scored the game's first basket, but didn't lead again until a pair of free throws by Logan Hartman gave the visitors a 30-28 edge with 2:30 left in the third quarter.

Consecutive layups by Amy Achesinski gave Butler (12-3, 5-1), which led by eight points after the first quarter, its final lead of 41-38 with 6:13 left in the game.

Three consecutive Tornado turnovers ignited an 8-0 New Castle run that gave the 'Canes a 43-38 edge with 1:42 remaining.

"Our girls know how to play from behind," New Castle coach Luann Grybowski said. "Once we got that lead, we weren't gonna give it up."

Butler lost more than the lead during that stretch. Senior Julie Ehrman took an elbow to the forehead and crumpled to the floor with 3:25 remaining and her team trailing by three at the time.

The woozy Ehrman was helped to the bench and didn't return. She had scored 15 points on five 3-pointers earlier.

"Losing Julie was big because her shot was on tonight," Epps said. "When she's on, we really try to get her the ball. And she was the only one besides Amy who was doing any scoring for us."

Achesinski had 17 points and six rebounds for the Tornado. Besides Ehrman's 15, no other Butler player scored more than four points.

"Not having that third scorer cost us the game," Epps said. "Our guard play wasn't up to par tonight … and we lost our composure late."

Ashley Nocera stuck back an offensive rebound to pull the Tornado within 43-40 with 1:24 left.

Ryenn Micaletti sank a free throw for New Castle with 57 seconds to go, but missed her second attempt. Hartman grabbed the rebound, kicked it back out, and ended the possession with a layup with 38 seconds left to ice the game.

Sophomore guard Abby Allen gave the 'Canes a boost with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.

New Castle canned six treys in the game as junior post standout Jaleesa Sams — who averages 19.3 points per game — was held to 12.

"Abby gave us the lift we needed," Grybowski said. "We may not win this without her."

"We didn't see that coming," Epps admitted of New Castle's treys. "They usually don't hit 3-pointers like that."

New Castle had a 23-21 edge in rebounds. Sams had eight boards and Hartman had five. Butler suffered 20 turnovers to New Castle's 17.

"This was a battle for first place and the intensity matched that," Epps said. "We'll regroup and come back. We're only halfway through the (section) schedule.

NEW CASTLE 50Ryenn Micaletti 2-6 3-4 7, Abby Allen 4-6 2-2 13, Nikki Karatinos 3-7 0-0 7, Logan Hartman 3-10 2-2 8, Tasia Wise 0-1 0-0 0, Shirl Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Jaleesa Sams 2-4 8-10 12, Kara Joseph 1-2 0-0 3. Totals: 15-37 15-18 50

BUTLER 41Abby Herrit 0-1 1-2 1, Rachel Barry 0-10-0 0, Lyndsy Day 2-2 0-0 4, Liz Schultz 0-0 0-0 0, Amy Achesinski 7-14 3-4 17, Maria Baroffio 0-4 0-0 0, Julie Ehrman 5-10 0-0 15, Samantha Karns 0-1 0-0 0, Ashley Nocera 1-3 0-0 2, Michelle Ritchey 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 16-38 4-6 41

3-point goals: Allen 3, Karatinos, Joseph; Ehrman 5

JV: Butler, 35-33 (B-Karissa King 8, NC-Tasia Wise 16

Monday: Fox Chapel @ Butler