BUTLER TWP — With the game and a playoff berth on the line, there was only one plan for Butler: Give the ball to Blake Anderson and get out of the way.

The senior guard was 8-for-8 at the free throw line in the final two minutes and scored a career-high 29 points Tuesday night as the Golden Tornado boys basketball team defeated North Hills, 66-52.

The victory, coupled with New Castle's triumph at Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland's loss to Shaler, sets up a showdown for the final Section 3-AAAA WPIAL playoff spot Friday night in New Castle.

If Butler wins Friday, it will qualify for the playoffs for the first time in six years. If it loses, New Castle gets that spot.

"Win and we're in," Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said. "That's the way we want it. Our kids love to compete and no matter how this shakes out, they'll be on the floor Friday night giving everything they have to try to make it happen."

Anderson made it happen for the Tornado (14-9, 7-6) on Senior Night in the Butler gym.

He scored 15 of his team's 27 points in the first half as Butler had trouble shaking the pesky Indians (6-17, 4-9). The Tornado never had a double-digit lead until Jade Burka sank a layup with 6:24 left in the contest.

That bucket gave Butler a 44-34 advantage. Burka scored only four points in the first three quarters, but he sank four layups in the final period.

"He gets rebounds and he gets points inside," Lewandowski. "That's what you want from your big man."

Consecutive Burka layups gave Butler its biggest lead of the night — 53-40 — with three minutes remaining. Anderson's free throws sealed the deal.

"We tried denying him the ball, but he kept beating our guys to it," North Hills coach Joe Falletta said. "That's what senior guards do. The good ones want the basketball, and Blake Anderson is a very good player."

Anderson was 13-of-13 at the line for the night as Butler sank 19 of 23 free throws as a team.

"Senior Night, last game on our home floor — that stuff pumped me up," Anderson said. "I wanted to go out having a big game."

"If there's a guard anywhere around here who does more for his team, I'd like to see him," Lewandowski said. "Teams don't know how to guard him. Press him and he gets behind you. Drop back and he shoots the basketball."

Anderson contributed four rebounds and four assists along with his 29 points. Burka had 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Noah Hartung had five rebounds as Butler had a 28-17 advantage on the boards.

Joining Burka and Anderson in Butler's starting lineup Tuesday were seldom-used seniors Chris Anthony, Herb Klann and Josh Marchinoski.

"It's tradition to start five seniors on Senior Night and those guys deserved a chance to play," Lewandowski said. "One of the misnomers of sports is that only the guys who play on game night are responsible for a team's success.

"Games are won in practice. These other guys push our starters and make them better."

Anderson agreed.

"I was thrilled when those other guys started," he said. "I've been waiting for a chance to play ball with them. We've worked together in practice for three years."

Besides regular starters Burka, Anderson, Hartung, Nick Martini and Alan Jackson, Butler's other seniors are Adam Monday, Klann, Marchinoski and Anthony.

Josh Trocchio paced four North Hills players in double figures with 16 points. Joe O'Malley added 14, 6-foot-4 freshman Drew Falletta had 12 points and six rebounds, and Dante Anglin had 10 points.

No other Indians scored at all, however.

North Hills was without 6-4 senior forward C.J. Wink Tuesday. Wink scored 12 points in Butler's 46-34 win Jan. 10 at North Hills.

NORTH HILLS 52Cody Patten 0-2 0-0 0, Joe O'Malley 4-7 3-3 14, Josh Trocchio 5-8 5-6 16, Andrew Monahan 0-4 0-0 0, Dante Anglin 3-5 4-4 10, Drew Falletta 6-17 0-2 12, Matt Timko 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-43 13-15 52

BUTLER 66Noah Hartung 0-2 3-6 3, Cody Fleeger 2-2 0-0 4, Nick Martini 3-5 2-2 9, Adam Monday 0-3 0-0 0, Alan Jackson 2-5 0-0 4, Blake Anderson 7-10 13-13 29, Jade Burka 6-11 0-0 12, Aaron Dorondo 1-1 0-0 2, Chris Anthony 0-0 0-0 0, Herb Klann 1-1 0-0 2, Josh Marchinoski 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 22-41 19-23 66

3-point goals: O'Malley 3; Martini, Anderson 2

JV: North Hills, 41-31 (NH-Greg Sencak 13; B-Mike Pratkanis, Zach Cuffman, Brian DeAngelis 6)

Friday: Butler @ New Castle