BUTLER TWP — So much for low-scoring games.

After three consecutive games of neither Butler nor its opponent scoring as many as 60 points, the Golden Tornado netted plenty of them in an 87-65 nonsection boys basketball win over Aliquippa Friday night.

“This is not the way I'd diagram a win, but we are capable of scoring a lot of points,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “People think we can't score, that we're a hold-the-ball type of team.

“This game certainly wasn't like that.”

The 87 points marked a season high for Butler (10-8), easily eclipsing the previous high of 75 scored Jan. 10 at Carrick.

Aliquippa (9-11) entered the game having allowed more than 70 points only once — a 75-51 loss at Rochester in December.

“I like the way Butler plays and we look forward to seeing them at our place next year,” Quips coach Bobby Williams said. “I was disappointed in the officiating tonight.

“Personal fouls were 10-1 at one point. That's just too big a ratio. We're a pressing team and that doesn't work when we're taking fouls at one end and not getting them at the other.”

Friday marked Butler's Senior Night and Clement started all five of his seniors: Bobby Swartwout, Cody Herald, Vinnie Schmidt, Zach Slater and Bill Smith. They played the entire first quarter.

The Tornado had a 20-19 lead after the first period as the lead changed hands 10 times in the first eight minutes.

“It had to be tough on those guys playing without their point guard (junior Nate Snodgrass),” Clement said. “But Senior Night is all about the seniors for me.”

Schmidt's two free throws with 35.2 seconds left in the opening quarter gave Butler that 20-19 lead it never lost.

The Tornado sank 26 of 28 free throws and hit 29 of 48 shots from the floor. Many of those field goals were layups off fast breaks.

“We can score points, but we have trouble stopping people,” Williams said.

“Free throws are a mental thing,” Clement said. “We're a good foul-shooting team. Vinnie had been struggling at the line, but he stepped up and hit all four of his tonight. Everybody else just followed suit.”

Butler's biggest lead was the final 22-point margin.

Swartwout paced the Tornado with 28 points and nine rebounds. Herald added 14 points — 10 in the third quarter — while Schmidt and Smith scored 10 points each.

Smith added four assists and four rebounds. Snodgrass had five assists and three steals.

“Bill Smith probably thinks he should be getting more minutes and I'd be disappointed if he didn't think that way,” Clement said. “But he never pouts and he busts his butt every day in practice.

“Sometimes he gets a lot of minutes, other times the rotation doesn't go his way. That kid has always been a team player.”

Jared Moore led Aliquippa with 18 points, including three 3-pointers. Davion Hall added 12.

The Quips had 21 turnovers to Butler's 17. The Tornado had a 29-17 edge in rebounds, including 21-7 in the second half.

ALIQUIPPA 65Davion Hall 3-14 5-5 12, Malik Stewart 1-3 4-4 6, Malik Shegog 2-3 1-2 5, Xavier Coleman 1-2 0-0 3, Ravaughn Pope 4-5 0-0 8, Deonte Robinson 2-2 0-0 4, Anthony Lindsey 4-8 1-2 9, Jared Moore 7-11 1-1 18.

Totals: 24-48 12-14 65.

BUTLER 87Nate Snodgrass 0-4 4-4 4, Trevor Wideman 3-3 2-2 8, Cody West 0-0 0-0 0, Cody Herald 5-9 3-3 14, Zach Slater 1-2 0-0 3, Bill Smith 4-6 2-3 10, Matt Baranchak 0-0 1-4 1, Vinnie Schmidt 3-5 4-4 10, David Tompkins 3-4 0-0 6, Bobby Swartwout 9-14 10-10 28, Luke Hartung 1-1 0-0 3.

Totals: 29-48 26-28 87.

Aliquippa 19 14 14 18—65Butler 20 20 22 25—873-point goals: Aliquippa 5, (Hall, Coleman, Moore 3); Butler 3 (Herald, Slater, Hartung).

Junior varsity: Butler, 39-32 (B: Luke Hartung 9, A: Malik Stewart 9)

Tuesday: Central Catholic at Butler