MANOR TWP, Armstrong County — In the consolation matchup of the Armstrong Tournament Saturday afternoon, there were more pressing matters at hand than girls basketball bragging rights for geographical foes.

Butler and Knoch wanted responses after disappointing losses the night before.

The Knights left 54-52 winners, but the Golden Tornado left the gym feeling much better about themselves.

“Like I told the girls, the end result is the same — it’s a loss,” Butler coach Mark Maier said. “But, a two-point loss, even though it’s heartbreaking or nail-biting, is better than a 24-point loss. You can find more things to build on today than yesterday … I thought we shared it well, I thought we shot better, and competed better.”

Both sides started off strong, hitting three treys each in the opening frame. Hattie McGraw accounted for all three for the Knights.

“We played more as a team, we executed better offensively,” Knoch coach Chris Andreassi said. “That was the No. 1 topic today, a fast start … The other thing we were focusing on was being more patient in our offense. We always use the phrase, ‘Be quick, but don’t hurry.’”

The Golden Tornado led by seven halfway through and had a much better output than the night before. Sophomore Amelia McMichael went for 13 in the initial two quarters and 22 overall.

“She’s a tough matchup,” Maier said of McMichael. “She gets her feet set, she can shoot … A lot of times when she catches and shoots, it’s a good shot. And, the tough thing is, she’s strong underneath.”

Other than her, nobody else finished with more than Justine Forbes’ seven points.

After knocking down a three-pointer early, senior point guard Hannah Aldridge only attempted two more shots. The Knights got contributions from their bench, with junior Adah Fuller matching Butler’s nine third-quarter points by getting hot from beyond the arc and Naturelle Ewing bucketing seven in the fourth.

“It was huge,” Andreassi said. “That’s what Adah does. She can provide a spark like that. Then, Naturelle responded in the fourth quarter, defensively as well as on the offensive end.”

The help was needed. Knoch standout Nina Shaw was shadowed by Forbes for most of the clash and Butler kept close.

“When we talk about Nina, the points are a bonus with her,” Andreassi said. “She can not score a point and be an effective player … When it comes to her, I don’t even look at the points.”

Still, the Golden Tornado had one last chance to win it in the waning seconds. After a timeout, they couldn’t get the shot off.

““It seemed like a lack of urgency — and I designed that (play),” Maier said. “It wasn’t something we had. I put that together on the fly … It’s something to think about. Probably late-game situation, we need to evaluate that.

“It came down to the last shot. Like I said, you can second-guess everything — and I will as a coach in a two-point game … It all matters.”

Both coaches leave with positives.

“I feel better today than I did yesterday,” Maier said. “Whether that’s a moral victory or I’m a Pollyanna, I’m looking at the bright side. We can compete.”

“The fact that it’s Butler or a local rival is not what’s important to us,” Andreassi said. “What’s important to us is that we responded after yesterday.”

KNOCH 54

Hattie McGraw 5 0-0 15, Naturelle Ewing 3 2-2 11, Adah Fuller 3 0-0 9, Nina Shaw 3 3-6 9, Megan Vasas 3 3-4 9, CeCe Kosecki 0 1-4 1. Totals: 17 9-16 54.

BUTLER 52

Amelia McMichael 8 3-3 22, Sydney Patterson 4 0-0 8, Justine Forbes 2 1-2 7, Madi McGarrah 2 0-0 6, Hannah Aldridge 1 1-2 4, Avery Maier 1 0-0 2, Hope Look 0 2-2 2, Tori Stevenson 0 1-2 1, Kelli Kovalick 0 0-2 0. Totals: 18 8-13 52.

Knoch 19 4 17 14 — 54

Butler 18 12 9 13 — 52

3-point goals: Butler 8 (McMichael 3, McGarrah 2, Forbes 2, Aldridge), Knoch 9 (McGraw 5, Fuller 3, Ewing)

Tuesday: Erie at Butler