BETHEL PARK — A fourth-quarter surge was too little, too late for the Butler girls basketball team on Thursday night.

After mustering just 15 points through the first three frames, the Golden Tornado erupted for 19 in the final stanza, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a bundle of early miscues in a 45-34 loss to Chartiers Valley at the Bethel Park Tournament.

Butler (4-6) scored just one point in the second quarter and dug itself a 22-9 hole by halftime thanks to shooting 3-of-19 from the field — 15.8 percent — and committing 15 crippling turnovers.

“I always hate giving two days off (during the holidays) because they always seem to come in the gym and they’re just out of it,” said Butler coach Dorothea Epps. “We couldn’t make a lay-up and there were unforced turnovers that were just killing us.”

Chartiers Valley coach Spencer Stefko was pleased with his team’s ability to end possessions before the Tornado could manage a high-percentage shot.

“We were able to pressure the ball a little bit and we made some shots whenever we had to,” Stefko explained. “They’re a little young in the backcourt and we were able to take advantage there to keep it away from the post, where Butler is a little stronger.”

Cait Baxter led the Tornado with 12 points — seven in the first quarter — and was the only Butler player to make a field goal in the first half.

Even with the struggles, an Alyssa DiPippa mid-range jumper — the first non-Baxter bucket — cut the deficit to 24-15 with 2:10 left in the third.

“We were still hanging in there despite ourselves,” said Epps. “We played one of the worst first halves I think we’ve played in a long time and the third quarter didn’t seem to be much better.”

Butler’s ability to stick with the Colts (6-2) didn’t surprise Stefko.

“It would shock me if I didn’t know that staff so well,” he said. “They understand it’s not a game of individuals and their unit of five always finds a way to turn the game ugly and be in the game.”

Chartiers Valley responded from the DiPippa bucket with back-to-back steals and parlayed the turnovers into an Alexa Golden basket and Kassidy O’Keefe 3-pointer to reclaim control and took a 32-15 cushion into the fourth quarter.

Butler didn’t go down quietly, though.

After the Colts extended the advantage to 39-21, the Tornado reeled off an 8-0 run and trimmed the gap to 10 points midway through the final frame. Chartiers Valley didn’t allow its lead to dwindle any lower than nine points, however, and closed out the win.

“You have to take your hats off to those kids who don’t quit,” said Stefko of Butler. “That’s a fabulously-coached team.”

Despite the improved play, Epps was left unsatisfied.

“It’s still disappointing because I feel this team has the ability,” Epps explained. “I’m not saying that we should have walloped this team, but I don’t think that we should have lost in that fashion.

“With that being said, we did hang in there,” she added. “Once these girls understand and have the confidence to just go out there and play and don’t worry about who the opponent is, I think that they will pull out games like these.”

Golden posted a game-high 17 points and three blocked shots for Chartiers Valley, while O’Keefe added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals. They also led the Colts with three assists apiece.

Butler’s Julia Baxter came off the bench to net eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double. Cait Baxter pulled down seven boards and tallied a game-high six steals. Mackenzie O’Donnell — who missed the majority of the first half in foul trouble — and Morgan Pfabe each chipped in five points.

BUTLER 34

Sam Marak 0-1 0-0 0, Alyssa DiPippa 1-4 0-2 2, Mackenzie O’Donnell 0-5 5-6 5, Cait Baxter 4-12 3-5 12, Natalie Barkus 0-1 0-0 0, Julia Baxter 4-9 2-2 10, Lauren Bresnahan 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan Pfabe 2-8 1-2 5. Totals: 11-43 11-17 34.

CHARTIERS VALLEY 45

Mariah Wells 3-12 0-0 7, Kassidy O’Keefe 6-10 0-2 15, Kristina Coyne 0-3 0-0 0, Alexa Golden 6-13 3-4 17, Jenna Devinney 1-8 2-2 4, Kristin McGeough 1-5 0-0 2, Melissa Rickens 0-0 0-0 0, Amanda Mazzarini 0-1 0-0 0, Karley O’Keefe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-52 5-8 45.

Butler 8 1 6 19—34

Chartiers Valley12 10 10 13—45

3-point goals: Butler 1-6 (C. Baxter 1-5, Pfabe 0-1). Chartiers Valley 6-24 (Kas. O’Keefe 3-6, Golden 2-5, Wells 1-5, Devinney 0-7, Mazzarini 0-1).

Today: Butler vs. Bethel Park, 8 p.m.