PITTSBURGH — Butler valiantly fought the odds Tuesday night.

But the odds won.

The Golden Tornado played without senior point guard and leading scorer Nate Snodgrass, sidelined with an ankle sprain. Senior forward David Tompkins played with a specially-made mouthpiece to protect some stitches, Dom Pusateri and Trevor Wideman were ill Monday.

Yet Butler's boys basketball team grabbed a 35-34 edge — its lone lead of the night — on a Matt Baranchak free throw with 1:49 left in the third quarter.

Central Catholic (11-10, 6-6) responded with a 17-2 run over the next seven minutes and put away a 57-42 Section 3-AAAA boys basketball victory.

“I'm so proud of these guys and the effort they gave,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “I love every one of them.

“We left it all out there. I think we played harder than they did. We just wore down.”

Cody West manned the point in Snodgrass' absence for the Tornado (10-11, 5-6) and scored his team's final 14 points of the first half.

Trailing 27-17 at intermission, Butler used an 18-7 run at the start of the third quarter to grab the lead.

“Cody played the game of his life tonight,” Clement said. “He averages 22 minutes per game this year. Tonight, he played all 32. We didn't have the depth we normally have.

“This team beat us by 29 at our place this year, and that was with Snodgrass and (Jake) Hilliard. Tonight, Central was simply more talented than us.”

West paced the Tornado with 19 points and five assists, but scored just five in the third period and none in the fourth. Luke Hartung had eight points and four rebounds, Trevor Wideman five boards and three steals.

“If I'm coach of that team, I'm darn proud of them and I'm sure Matt feels that way,” Central coach Chuck Crummie said. “The difference in this game was that they got tired. That's it.”

Butler had 20 turnovers in the game, eight in the fourth quarter.

Sam Calhoun led the Vikings with a career-high 21 points and added eight rebounds. He sank all five of Central's treys.

Lincoln Davis added 15 points and three steals, Mike Anselmo 12 points, five assists and three steals.

Central needed a win Tuesday to reach the WPIAL playoffs.

“Win, we're in. Lose, we're out. ... Our kids were feeling that in the third quarter,” Crummie said. “Butler kept coming and coming. They never felt sorry for the situation they were in. They believed they could win.

“That might have been the best I've ever seen an opposing team play us minus its best player.”

Because North Allegheny nipped Seneca Valley 44-43 Tuesday night, the Tornado will qualify for the WPIAL playoffs if they defeat SV Friday night in Butler.

“We're hoping for a huge crowd, an electric atmosphere,” Clement said. “It's Senior Night, as well.

“From the time Nate got hurt (last Thursday at Aliquippa), we figured he'd be OK to play Friday. I think he'll play. But we'll do nothing to hurt the kid. If he can't go, he can't go.”

Butler has dropped seven of its last nine games.

BUTLER 42Keenan Krause 0-0 0-0 0, Cody West 6-13 4-5 19, Seth Horwat 0-0 0-0 0, Trevor Wideman 1-5 0-0 2, Dom Pusateri 3-6 0-0 7, Luke Hartung 3-8 0-0 8, Matt Baranchak 0-1 1-2 1, David Tompkins 2-2 1-2 5, Zach Pilracik 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 15-35 6-9 42.

CENTRAL CATHOLIC 57Christian Joiner 0-2 0-2 0, Claude Scott 3-6 1-2 7, Lincoln Davis 7-13 12 15, Mike Anselmo 5-6 2-3 12, Garrett Urbanic 1-2 0-0 2, David Urso 0-0 0-0 0, Sam Calhoun 7-10 2-2 21, Matt Hoge 0-2 0-0 0, Peter Kush 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 23-41 6-11 57.

Butler 10 7 18 7—42Central Catholic 17 10 11 19—573-point goals: Butler 6 (West 3, Pusateri, Hartung 2); Central Catholic 5 Calhoun 5).

Junior varsity: Central, 53-51, OT (B: Luke Tincha 18, Jordan Cratty 10; CC: Alex Schoeppen 9, J.P Petrishen 9)

Friday: Seneca Valley at Butler