BUTLER TWP— It's the holiday break and the games are non-section, but don't be fooled.

Butler takes its annual Christmas Tournament very seriously.

The 14th annual Butler Christmas Basketball Tournament takes place Thursday and Friday night in the Golden Tornado gym.

"We take a lot of pride in that event,"Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said. "It's on our home floor, we bring in good teams and we want to do well.

"Hopefully, we can use this to continue building momentum."

The Golden Tornado (7-3) enter the tournament on a two-game winning streak and will face Burrell (4-5), also riding a two-game win streak, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The first game of the tournament features Summit Academy (4-5) against Bethel Park (6-3). The consolation and championship games will be played at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday evening.

Butler's boys have won this tournament the past four times they've been in it, defeating Franklin Regional 67-62 in 2002, Aliquippa 64-49 in 2004, Penn Hills 58-57 in 2005 and the Indians again last year, 63-61, in the championship games.

The 2003 tournament was strictly a girls event. Butler's girls are playing in Las Vegas this week.

"We always have a quality field in this tournament and it's not an easy thing to win,"Lewandowski said.

A Lewandowski-coached team has never lost the Christmas Tournament and has produced the event's last three Most Valuable Players. Mike Pratkanis was tourney MVPlast year with Blake Anderson capturing the award in 2004 and 2005. Butler's Tyrell Sales was MVPin 2002.

Now a junior outside linebacker at Penn State, Sales recorded 44 tackles and two quarterback sacks this season as the Nittany Lions prepare to face Texas A&Mthis Saturday in the Alamo Bowl.

Burrell, joining the tournament for the fourth straight year, has allowed fewer than 60 points to each of its last six opponents.

"They are a scrappy team that rebounds the ball well,"Lewandowski said. "Bethel Park has a big, strong team and Summit Academy brings a lot of athleticism.

"There are contrasting teams in ther touranment in terms of style of play and that will make for some interesting matchups."

Bethel Park, 24-4 last year, has a 6-foot-7 senior in Pete Bogan, a 6-5 sophomore in Grant Warford and a 6-3 senior in Mike Zarochek.

Summit Academy (5-4) has dropped its last two games — bowing to Highlands 84-43 and Riverside 61-58 — but senior guard LaRon Green drained five 3-pointers in the Riverside game.

The Christmas Tournament is put on by the Butler Basketball Boosters. Besides the tournament MVPaward, the boosters present an all-tournament team, a team championship trophy and runner-up trophy.

A 3-point shooting contest takes place as well, with trophies going to the winner and runner-up there.

"All of the kids get fed and every player walks out of here with a T-shirt or some type of gift,"Lewandowski said. "Our boosters make this one of the first-class holiday basketball tournaments around.

"There are some good teams coming in for people to see. And we feel like we've got a pretty good basketball team, too."