The numbers were down. The quality of scores were up.

Those were the two biggest elements of the 73rd annual Pennsylvania State Bowling Association men’s tournament, which concluded last weekend at Butler’s Family Bowlaway and Zelienople’s Freeway Lanes.

This year’s tourney featured 1,294 teams, 3,052 doubles, 6,104 singles and 5,717 bowlers competing in all events over 13 weekends. The team total marked the lowest in tournament history.

“That was a sign of the economy more than anything,” tourney director Frank Delarme said. “It wasn’t Butler. Those people always do a great job with this event.

“On Mother’s Day weekend, a team broke the state record for highest team score. That probably deterred some teams from entering as well, figuring they weren’t going to beat that.”

A team from Imperial Lanes out of Milton rolled a 3,761 team score, besting the previous mark of 3,720 set in Erie in 2008.

Bruce Hollen Jr. of Milton rolled a tournament record 866 series — 289, 277 and 300 — for Imperial Lanes this year.

There were 25 300-games and 12 800-series rolled in the 2012 tournament. One bowler, Jason Sincavage, bowled a pair of 300s.

“The scores were amazing. We had a good shot this year,” Butler County Bowling Association manager Jim Bowser said. “One lady came here and bowled her first 300 game ever.

“We had a lot of ladies bowl in this year’s tournament. That makes sense since the men’s and women’s organizations were merged this year on the national level.”

No Butler County bowlers — singles, doubles or team — placed among the final top 10 in any event. Delarme said he believes that’s the first time a local association has failed to do so.

“We didn’t have the turnout of local bowlers we were expecting and that was disappointing,” Bowser admitted. “I don’t believe many of our higher caliber bowlers took part this year.”

BCBA president Dalton “Skip” Weyand agreed.

“I believe we had about 60 local teams participate when we last hosted in 2004,” Weyand said. “We had maybe 40 percent of that this year. There wasn’t enough local participation, in my view.

“Even our substitute list was down and most times, subs are filling a spot that’s already been paid for and they’re able to bowl for free.”

Plenty of BCBA members, along with high school bowlers from Butler and Mars, volunteered time to help run the tournament.

“We had some people show up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday and stay until 7 or 8 at night,” Bowser said. “All told, we had about 4,000 man hours of volunteer time put into this thing.”

The PSBA tourney is slated for Reading, Erie and Harrisburg the next three years. Delarme said it will eventually find its way back to Butler.

“We get bowlers from the Philadelphia area asking us why it doesn’t come out that way,” Delarme said. “You need an association that’s willing to put in the work and proprietors willing to give up use of their facility for 13 weekends.

“A lot of houses do very well with recreational bowling, birthday parties, etc., on weekends and don’t want to give that up. And we’re looking for the best rate we can get to keep costs down.”

Bowser said it will likely be “eight years or so” before Butler hosts the tourney again.

“But we’ve got three houses — Family Bowlaway, Sherwood Lanes and Freeway Lanes — willing to host this tournament at any time,” Bowser said.

Butler County’s women’s association is lobbying to bring the state women’s tourney to the county.

“I think we’ll have the women’s tournament in here before the men’s returns,” Weyand said. “But I’m sure we’ll get the men’s tournament here again.”

PSBA TOURNAMENT Final Standings

Team, Handicapped: Imperial Lanes #1(Milton) 3,761; Rochester Turners #1 (Beaver Valley) 3,613; Holy Rollers (York-Adams) 3,610; Imperial Lanes #4 (Milton) 3,599; Edinboro Lanes #1 (Erie) 3,591

Team, Scratch: Imperial Lanes #1 (Milton) 3,761; Imperial Lanes #4 (Milton) 3,599; All Seasons Pool #4 (Wyoming Valley) 3,581; Birdie’s Trucking Inc. (Laurel Highlands) 3,580; Bauer’s Pro Shop (Reading-Pottstown) 3,496

Doubles, Handicapped: Justin Pisarski-Josh Malanoski (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,546; Joseph Knodle-Brian Chec (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,534; Terry Kuhnhein-Scott Ream (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,514; Christopher McManus-Leonard Minnick Jr. (Brownsville) 1,494; Randy Tisot-Timothy Tisot (Brownsville) 1m467

Doubles, Scratch: Justin Pusarski-Josh Malanoski (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,546; Joseph Knodle-Brian Chec (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,534; Joseph Hirsch-Brett Reigh (Greater Harrisburg) 1,414; Jason Ricker-David Gerhart (Lancaster) 1,399; David Schley-Tomas Trout (Milton) 1,398

Singles, Handicapped: Rodney Bashline (Greater Oil Region) 793, Jon Norlin (Seneca Highlands) 792, Craig Kordich (Brownsville) 792, Joe VanNess (Brownsville) 785, Steven Harkay (Greater Pittsburgh) 783

Singles, Scratch: John Wisniewski (Reading-Pottstown) 782, Mark Everette (Beaver Valley) 765, Don Swanyard (Erie) 755, Rtyan May (Reading-Pottstown) 750, Justin Pisarski (Greater Pittsburgh) 748

All Events, Handicapped: Corey Balog (Greater Pittsburgh) 2,271; Brian Chec (Greater Pittsburgh) 2,271; Christopher McManus (Brownsville) 2,237; Josh Malanoski (Greater Pittsburgh) 2,229; Charles Stepp (Washington) 2,202

All Events, Scratch: Brian Chec (Greater Pittsburgh) 2,271; Josh Malanoski (Greater Pittsburgh) 2,229; Ryan May (Reading-Pottstown) 2,181; John Delp III (Reading-Pottsown) 2,150

High Series (June 15-17): John Delp III 815, Jacques Jacobson 811, Paul Alig 790, Larry Beamer Jr, 784, John Wisniewski 782

High Games (June 15-17): John Slowik Jr. 300, John Eisniewski 300, Jacques Jacobson 299, John Delp III 299, Michael Sheeler 290, Buddy Tierno 290