Butler girls can't recover vs. Rams
PINE TWP — Butler coach Dorothea Epps knows this year's team can't afford to fall behind early if it wants to stay competitive.
Unfortunately, that's just what happened in Monday's Section 3-AAAA contest as Pine-Richland posted a 13-0 run in the first quarter to power the Rams to a 54-42 girls basketball victory over the Golden Tornado.
“When you're not a high-scoring team and you're down by 13 points, and as you can see we're not a good free-throw shooting team, it's tough to come back,” Epps noted.
“We had 14 turnovers in the first half and it's not like they were high-pressure turnovers. It's not playing smart,” she added.
Butler trimmed the deficit to six points on four occasions, but could get no closer.
With the score knotted at 4-all, P-R's Brittany Byerly drained a 3-pointer and Lisa Rader followed up with a basket before Kelly Keegan came off the bench and scored the next four baskets to open up a 17-7 Rams advantage with 1:14 left in the first quarter.
The Tornado (1-8, 0-3) settled down and scored eight of the next nine points — with five coming from Caitlin Baxter — to make it an 18-12 contest with 6:34 before halftime.
“We switched up defenses,” said Epps. “We wanted to mix it up a little and to try and spark us, too. We missed too many foul shots, though.”
The Rams (4-3, 1-1) held a 24-17 lead at the break, but both teams struggled at the free-throw line. Butler connected on 8 of 17 first-half attempts and the Rams 3-of-12.
Abbie Altman opened the second half with a 3-pointer to give the Rams a 10-point lead before Baxter countered with a pair of baskets to make it 27-21.
After the teams exchanged baskets, Altman and Keegan scored on consecutive possessions to regain the 10-point lead.
Jasmine Bailey sank a free throw for Butler before Altman hit another trey for a 36-24 lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter.
Baxter and Eyth scored the next two baskets to make it an eight-point game, but the Rams followed with scores by Emily Johanson, Byerly and Keegan to take a 42-28 lead with 6:40 and assume control.
“With our section, you've got to put it together for four quarters and execute for four quarters,” Epps said.
Bailey led all scorers with 15 points while Bailey and Eyth had 10 apiece. Keegan led the Rams with 14 points while Altman and Byerly had 10 apiece.
BUTLER 42Mackenzie O'Donnell 0 3-5 3, Sam Marak 0 0-0 0, Jasmine Bailey 0 0-0 0, Ali Houk 0 0-0 0, Caitlin Baxter 6 3-7 15, Morgan McLaughlin 0 0-0 0, Emily Eyth 4 0-0 10, Shelby Johnston 0 0-0 0, Natalie Barkus 0 4-6 4.
Totals: 14 12-25 42.
PINE-RICHLAND 54Abbie Altman 3 2-2 10, Kaleigh Jackson 3 1-2 7, Lisa Rader 2 0-0 4, Brittany Byerly 3 3-3 10, Kara Peters 1 0-1 2, Taylor Berresford 0 0-0 0, Emily Johanson 2 2-6 6, Rachel Verbanic 0 1-4 1, Kelly Keegan 7 0-1 14.
Totals: 21 9-19 54.
Butler 8 9 11 14—42Pine-Richland 18 6 14 16—543-point goals: Butler 2 (Eyth 2); Pine-Richland 3 (Altman 2, Byerly).
Friday: Butler at North Allegheny girls-boys doubleheader)
