BUTLER TWP — Section losses at home can be tough to swallow for a high school basketball team.

The one sustained by Butler's girls Thursday night may stick with the Golden Tornado longer than usual.

Butler surrendered a 17-0 run that straddled the third and fourth quarters before bowing to North Hills, 53-49 in double overtime.

“Typically, kids have more resolve than adults when it comes to losing,” said Butler coach Mark Maier. “This one will be tougher on me than it will be for them.

“In a game like this, you can second-guess every decision you make.”

North Hills sophomore forward Lexi Kotwica scored the first three points of the second overtime, putting the Indians up 48-45 with 3:05 left. Butler (5-4, 2-2) never did pull even after that, though the opportunity was there to do so.

The Tornado missed six of their seven attempts from the field in the period. The only make came from Julia Gibson, cutting Butler's deficit to 52-49 with nine seconds left. Kotwica iced the game with a free throw at the other end with six seconds remaining.

It was the first section win of the season for the Indians (2-7, 1-3).

“It was a gutsy effort by our girls tonight,” said North Hills coach Lauren Wilmus. “We had been struggling in the second half of games this season and it was nice to get over the hump.”

Butler had a chance to take a lead late in the first overtime, but junior Jordan Kauffman, who led all scorers with 25 points, missed both free throws with eight seconds left.

North Hills rebounded and got off a rushed 3-point attempt that fell short, forcing the second overtime.

As a team, Butler shot just 50 percent (9-of-18) from the line in the game.

“If you would have asked me before those (late) free throws who I would want to be shooting them, I would have said Jordan,” said Maier. “Free throws are big, but to say that if we shoot better from the line, we win, that's too easy. There were a lot of things that contributed to this loss.”

Not the least of which was the lull Butler experienced beginning with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Emma Monteleone drained a pair of free throws to give Butler a 34-24 lead. The next time the team scored — Gibson's bucket with 3:57 left in the fourth — Butler was in a 41-36 hole.

“We decided to press a bit more and see how Butler handled it,” said Wilmus of her team's 17-0 run, which included a pair of treys from Kotwica. “That led to it as much as anything.”

The press caused fits for Butler's offense. In the final 11 minutes of regulation, the Tornado managed just two field goals while turning the ball over nine times.

Still, Maier commended his players for battling. Kauffman's steal and layup cut the deficit to 41-38 with 2:35 left. Sydney Hanratty hit a pair of free throws to make it 41-40 and Hailey Metzger made one with three seconds left to tie the game at 41. Butler had turned the tables on North Hills, outscoring the Indians 7-0 in the final four minutes of the game.

North Hills featured three players who scored in double digits — Kotwica scored 17, Savannah Powers had 16 and Abbey McElhaney 11.

“We expect that type of game from Savannah,” said Wilmus. “It was nice to see Abbey and Lexi step into those roles tonight.”

Note: Butler's junior varsity team moved to 9-0 on the season with a 58-17 win. Makenna Maier led the way with 11 points.

NORTH HILLS 53

Claire Babicz 1 0-1 2, Sarah Taschner 1 0-0 2, Kayla Haile 2 1-3 5, Lexi Kotwica 6 3-5 17, Savannah Powers 5 6-6 16, Abbey McElhaney 4 0-0 11, Kameryn Nelson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 10-15 53.

BUTLER 49

Julia Gibson 2 0-0 4, Jordan Kauffman 10 0-3 25, Emma Monteleone 0 3-4 3, Sydney Hanratty 2 3-4 9, Hailey Metzger 1 2-3 4, Emilee Altman 1 1-2 4, Ali Altman 0 0-2 0, Sarayne Forbes 0 0-0 0, Anna Michalek 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 9-18 49.

North Hills 10 12 7 12 4 8 — 53

Butler12 15 7 7 4 4 — 49

3-point goals: North Hills 5 (McElhaney 3, Kotwica 2); Butler

Monday: Norwin at Butler