Tornado can't keep up with Baldwin in loss
BUTLER TWP — Coach Dorothea Epps saw some good things from her Butler girls basketball team Thursday night, but they didn't include the final score.
The Golden Tornado's zone defense frustrated visiting Baldwin early on, but the Highlanders scored enough to come away with a 50-40 nonsection win.
Thirty turnovers and a 14-of-27 showing from the free throw line doomed the Golden Tornado (3-14).
“It's not for a lack of effort,” said Epps. “The girls are still playing hard, but missed free throws and turnovers have hurt us all year and they did again tonight.”
Butler trailed 39-25 after three quarters. A layup by the Tornado's Natalie Barkus with 2:05 left in the game trimmed Baldwin's lead to 10 points, but the Highlanders successfully played keep-away down the stretch.
Baldwin (15-4) was without its top scorer, senior forward Belma Nurkic, who is averaging 18.5 points per game.
“This was the second straight game we've been without her because of injury,” said Baldwin coach Dan Thayer. “We struggled without her in there.”
Butler was the better team in the opening quarter as the Highlanders committed five turnovers and shot just 2 of 11 from the field. The Tornado led 11-8 after eight minutes of play.
“Butler played a zone early and it took us a while to get warmed up,” Thayer added.
“Even tough we knew (Nurkic) wasn't playing, we still had to play a zone because they have other girls who can play and we knew we couldn't match up with them over the course of an entire game,” said Epps. “We had to try and save our legs.
“We hung with them, but just couldn't sustain it,” she added.
Baldwin junior guard Taylor Wentzel, who scored just two points in the first half, dropped in 14 over the final two quarters.
Mandi Johnston also scored 16 for the Highlanders.
Cait Baxter paced Butler with 14 points while teammate Jasmine Bailey had nine.
BALDWIN 50Carly Corcoran 2 0-0 5, Mandi Johnston 7 1-2 16, Taylor Wentzel 7 2-4 16, Lauren Gazzam 3 0-0 6, Anna Lauterbach 2 3-4 7, Liz Spegar 0 0-2 0, Tori Johnston 0 0-0 0, Nikki Corcoran 0 0-0 0, Chelsea Ammann 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 21 6-12 50.
BUTLER 40Natalie Barkus 1 2-2 4, Mackenzie O'Donnell 0 4-6 4, Shelby Johnston 0 1-2 1, Jasmine Bailey 4 1-5 9, Lauren Bresnahan 2 0-2 4, Ali Houk 2 0-1 4, Cait Baxter 4 6-9 14, Morgan McLaughlin 0 0-0 0, Samantha Marak 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 13 14-27 40.
Baldwin 8 14 17 11—50Butler 11 6 8 15—403-point goals: Baldwin 2 (C. Corcoran, M. Johnston); Butler 0.
Saturday: Butler at North Allegheny
