BUTLER TWP — Once Butler started running, it ran away.

The Golden Tornado broke open a close game with a 21-9 spurt at the end of the first half, built its lead to as many as 24 points in the second half and cruised to an 86-73 Section 1-6A boys basketball victory over Pine-Richland in the Butler gym Tuesday night.

“We hadn’t been getting many quick buckets in recent games,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “Our strength offensively this year is our speed. It was like ... Let’s get moving.”

And move they did.

When Donovan Carney sank a trey with 4:58 left in the first half, Butler (11-3, 3-2) had a 28-26 advantage on the 13th lead change of the game. But the lead never changed hands again.

A Madden Clement trey and Colin Casteel layup jumped the lead to 33-26. A steal and jam by BraylonL:ittlejohn, followed by his offensive rebound and stick-back, got the Butler lead into double digits at 41-30 with 59 seconds left in the half.

“They got going in transition and our help defense wasn’t good enough for the plays they were making,” Pine-Richland coach Bob Petcash said. “This was one of our best offensive games of the season, but the defense wasn’t there.”

An 11-0 run in the third quarter increased the Tornado lead to 62-39 with 2:42 left in the period. Casteel and Ryan Porch drained treys during that outburst. Another offrensive board and stick-back by Littlejohn enabled Butler’s lead to reach its peak at 71-47 early in the final period.

“When we’re able to get out and run like that, I din’t know if anybody can beat us,” Littlejohn said. “We just got going.”

“The key to this win was we were able to dictate the up-tempo game we wanted,” Clement said. “I switched to a zone when Madden and Braylon got two fouls each (in the first half). Before that, and while we were playing man, Donovan was doing a great job defending their point guard.

Rams point guard Emery Moye was held to 10 points, only four in the first half.

“In the zone, our two guys up top fronted him real well, too,” Clement said.

Littlejohn led Butler with 28 points, adding five rebounds and two steals. Carney had 18 points and four assists, Clement 16 points and six rebounds.

“When we get three guys in double figures, spreading our offense around like that, we’re that much tougher to defend,” Coach Clement said.

Andrew Lamendola led Pine-Richland (3-10-, 1-4) with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Josh Gimble scored 18 points and Doolin Stober came off the bench to score 11 points — all in the second half — and grab six rebounds.

The Rams have dropped eight of their last nine games.

“Our schedule has been tough. We haven’t gotten a night off, that’s for sure,” Petcash said. But I want it that way. We have a young group and I want them to get better.

“We’re 1-4 in section, but anything can happen in this section. We’re only halfway through. We just want to take this season one possession at a time.”

Littlejohn said Butler came out of the gate with energy.

“That has to continue,” he said. “We need to start every game with energy. Our losses to Central and New Castle showed us that.”

PINE-RICHLAND 73

Emery Moye 5-7 0-0 10, Andrew Lamendola 5-12 6-7 18, Vasily Balouris 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Gimbel 7-15 0-1 18, Carson Baer 1-6 2-2 4, Eli Wentz 0-1 1-2 1, Eli Catalano 2-7 2-2 7, Doolin Stober 5-8 1-1 11, Grant Spacciapolli 1-1 0-0 2, JohnLuca Aiello 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 27-58 12-15 73.

BUTLER 86

Braylon Littlejohn 10-13 7-8 28, Donovan Carney 7-12 1-2 18, Ryan McLister 0-1 0-0 0, Ayden Davis 2-4 1-2 5, Madden Clement 6-9 3-5 16, Mac Schnur 1-2 0-1 2, Ryan Porch 2-3 2-2 7, Tayt Lucas 0-0 0-0 0, Lance Slater 0-0 0-0 0, Colin Casteel 3-5 0-0 7, Coleton Welter 0-0 0-0 0, James Desmond 1-1 0-0 3. Totals: 32-50 14-20 86.

Pine-Richland 20 15 11 27 — 73

Butler 20 26 23 17 — 86

3-point goals: Pine-Richland 7 (Lamendola 2, Gimbel 4, Catalano), Butler 8 (Littlejohn, Carney 3, Clement, Porch, Casteel, Desmond)

JV: Butler, 47-43 (P-R: Grant Spacciapolli 10, B: Tayt Luca 27)

Friday: Butler at Hempfield