BUTLER TWP— The Red Hurricane vs. the Golden Tornado equals The White Storm?

Butler girls basketball coach Dorothea Epps hopes so, anyway.

Epps has started a campaign to get Butler fans to wear white clothing Friday night when her team hosts unbeaten New Castle at 6:30 p.m. in the first game of a girls-boys doubleheader.

"When our team traveled to Florida to play in a tournament last year, we went to a Miami Heat (NBA) game and their fans all wore white,"Epps said. "It was an unbelievable sight and a tremendous show of support for the home team.

"That's what we're looking for Friday, so we decided to try that here."

Epps said the slogan for the evening will be "White out the Red by creating a White Storm."

Whether the fans show up wearing white or not, the Tornado (12-2, 4-1) will have to deal with a Red Hurricane team that's been blowing away the opposition.

New Castle (13-0, 5-0) is outscoring its opponents by an average of 61-34 and has failed to win by a double-digit margin only twice — 64-57 at Shaler and 56-52 at Ambridge.

The 'Canes return a veteran group from last season, when they were eliminated in the WPIAL and PIAAsemifinals by Oakland Catholic.

Forward Jaleesa Sams leads New Castle with 18.8 points per game. She is shooting 76.9 percent from the foul line and has seven 3-pointers. Guard Abby Allen averages 9.8 points per game and has 14 3-pointers.

Forward Logan Hartman averages 9.2 per game and shoots 78.2 percent at the line. Point guard Ryenn Micaletti and guard Kara Joseph combine for 13.3 points per game and 19 treys.

"We set some goals in the preseason and things have gone well so far, but you have to look at the big picture,"New Castle coach Luann Grybowski said. "You experience some times in this game when it's just not your day.

"Our games with Butler over the past six years or so always seem to come down to the final minute."

The Tornado have won 10 of their last 11 games and reached the WPIALplayoffs last season by winning at New Castle in their final section game.

This time around, Butler is playing for a share of the section lead.

"That shows the maturity level of our team and how confident these girls have become as a team,"Epps said.

Amy Achesinski, who leads Butler County with 20.4 points per game, scored 34 points in her team's 58-56 double-overtime win Monday night at North Allegheny. Maria Baroffio averages 9.6 points per game and has 17 treys while Rachel Barry nets 8.3 per contest and point guard Olivia Bresnahan 6.4.

Bresnahan is a freshman starting with four seniors.

"But she doesn't play like a freshman,"Epps said. "We know New Castle is going to bring the pressure and we have to be ready for it."

They'll have to be ready for a big crowd as well.

"Our people are coming,"Grybowski said. "That is going to be a packed gym."

Achesinski enters Friday's game with 1,360 career points. She ranks third on Butler's girls basketball career scoring list — Leatha Baker and Wendy Brink each scored more than 1,600 points. Shawn Bellis is the only boys player to score more points than Achesinski.

"Amy is our go-to player and she relishes that role,"Epps said. "She likes having the ball in her hands with the game on the line."

The boys game pits the two teams at the bottom of the Section 3-AAAAstandings. Butler (7-8, 0-5) seeks its first section win while New Castle (6-8, 1-4) has lost five of its last six.

The Red Hurricanes have failed to score more than 44 points in any of their last three games.

"It's always a big game when we play New Castle, at our place or theirs,"Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said. "We're both hungry to get things going."

Anthony Harvey averages 17.5 points per game. No other player in the lineup averages as many as seven per contest.

Sean Lowry is netting 14.6 points per game for Butler and has 11 treys. Cody Fleeger averages 9.8 ppg. and has 27 treys. Chris Klutinoty has canned 20 treys for the Tornado.