JACKSON TWP — It was a spot Seneca Valley did not expect to be in, not after opening the game with a 15-3 run.

Seneca Valley’s Kaydence Kilhof gets fouled by Butler’s Ashton Huff in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

SV girls basketball coach Dorothea Epps called a timeout with 2:56 left in the first half, hoping her team could hit the reset button after Butler’s 23-10 run had given it a 26-25 lead.

Seneca Valley’s Natalie Hambly, left, fights for a ball against Butler’s Sydney Patterson in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

The Raiders returned to the court with a renewed focus.

“Defensively, I needed to put as much pressure on the ball as I could,” said SV sophomore guard Makayla Canty, who scored 13 points on the night. “We needed to get the lead back and hold onto it.”

Seneca Valley starters cheer their teammates late against Butler in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

The Raiders did just that, closing the half with a 6-0 spurt and never trailed again in a 66-44 win on their home floor.

Seneca Valley’s Brooke Dufford shoots against Butler’s Avery Maier in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

After earning their slim lead, the Golden Tornado were outscored 41-18.

“I asked the girls after the game: ‘Which team are we,’ said Butler coach Mark Maier. ”Are we the team that was up on Seneca by a point or the team that got more than doubled up the rest of the way?’

“Those are the polar opposites that we are playing like right now.”

Seneca Valley’s Brooke Dufford, left, and Makayla Canty fight for a ball against Butler’s Amelia McMichael in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

The Raiders (12-5, 4-2) regained their footing with a trio of drives and layups before the end of the first half off efforts from Canty, Natalie Hambly and Emerson Peffer.

Seneca Valley’s Emerson Peffer shoots the ball over Butler’s Amelia McMichael, left, and Sydney Patterson in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

Adding to Butler’s troubles was the eight straight points SV put up to start the second half. Avery Maier broke the string with a trey for the Tornado with 5:02 left in the third, but the Raiders still led 39-29.

Butler’s Avery Maier, middle, is congratulated after hitting a three pointer against Seneca Valley in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

McMichael spearheaded Butler’s first-half rally, scoring her first seven points of the game in the second period.

Seneca Valley’s Makayla Canty shoots the ball against Butler in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

Aside from the eight-minute span that belonged to Butler, Epps was pleased with her team’s defense.

Seneca Valley’s Allison Sevin, left, shoots over Butler’s Amelia McMichael in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

“We wanted to keep (Sydney) Patterson and (Amelia) McMichael in check and I thought we did that for the most part,” she said. “We needed to get back to being tough. Our defense was intense and physical.”

Seneca Valley bench goes crazy after they went on a run against Butler in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

Patterson paced Butler with 14 points. McMichael scored 11 and Maier 10.

Seneca Valley’s Emerson Peffer, left, fights for a ball against Butler’s Amelia McMichael in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

Helping to keep Butler at bay in the second half was sophomore guard Hambly, who drained three of her six treys in that span and finished with 24 points.

Seneca Valley’s Emerson Peffer, left, fights for a ball against Butler’s Amelia McMichael in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

“She was good as a freshman and has improved,” said Maier. “She has great range and plays within herself. We gave her too much space tonight.”

With the win, the Raiders earned a sweep of the Tornado (3-13, 1-5). They defeated Butler 51-44 three weeks ago.

Seneca Valley student section cheers on senior #33 Emerson Peffer against Butler in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

Butler has a non-section game at Plum on Saturday. SV travels to Hempfield on Monday.

Seneca Valley’s Legacy Joseph-Short, left, fights for a loose ball against Butler’s Casey Clouse in a WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Girls Basketball game at Seneca Valley High School on Thursday January 25, 2024. (Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)

BUTLER 44

Jessica Chwalik 3 0-0 9, Sydney Patterson 6 1-2 14, Avery Maier 4 0-0 10, Amelia McMichael 4 3-7 11, Malina McElroy 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 4-9 44.

SENECA VALLEY 66

Makayla Canty 5 0-0 13, Natalie Hambly 7 4-5 24, Gracie Cato 3 2-2 8, Emerson Peffer 4 0-2 8, Allison Sevin 3 1-1 7, Kaydence Kilhof 1 2-2 5, Lilliana Hudac 0 1-4 1, Addie Weaver 0 0-2 0. Totals: 23 10-18 66.

Butler 8 18 10 8 — 44

Seneca Valley 17 14 18 17 — 66

3-point goals: Butler 6 (Chwalik 3, Maier 2, Patterson); Seneca Valley 10 (Hambly 6, Canty 3, Kilhof).

Saturday: Butler at Plum

Monday: Seneca Valley at Hempfield