JACKSON TWP — Kevin Trost knew the odds of his Seneca Valley boys basketball team rallying for a win were very long.

Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin reacts after hitting a go-ahead three pointer with just over four minutes remaining against Butler in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Even so, he wanted his team’s effort in the second half against Butler on Friday to match the pride the players had in themselves, their teammates and the program.

Seneca Valley’s Owen Congdon boxes out Butler’s Ayden Davis late in the fourth quarter of a Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

The Raiders had been bowled over by Butler’s 32-5 run in the first half and trailed the Golden Tornado 41-21 at the break.

Seneca Valley’s Andrew Omasits drives to the hoop past Butler’s Tayt Lucas during Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

“The second quarter was not indicative of who we are,” said Trost. “I told the guys that we can come out in the second half and just mail it in and everyone will talk about how good Butler is and how young we are ... Or we can go out and fight for every possession and see what happens.”

Seneca Valley’s Kai West (21) lets out a smile following a comeback win against Butler in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

What happened was the Raiders mounted a run even more impressive than Butler had achieved — a 40-10 avalanche that led to an incredible 61-56 come-from-behind victory at William Paul Gymnasium.

Seneca Valley’s Owen Congdon gets a layup as Butler’s Andrew Gettinger rises up defensively during a Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Tyler Pepin, SV’s junior guard who tallied 19 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, didn’t know how bad things had gotten in the first half.

Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin makes a move on Butler’s Tayt Lucas during a Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

“I didn’t know it was a 32-5 run they laid on us. I just got goosebumps when I heard that,” he said. “There was a timeout with about a minute and a half left in the game. That’s when I realized it was going to happen. We were going to pull this off and I had to wipe some tears from my eyes.”

Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin throws up the W following a big individual performance against Butler in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Braylon Littlejohn gets off a layup in traffic during Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

The Butler fan section erupts after an alley-up by Donovan Carney in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Donovan Carney and Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin watch as a buzzer beater at the end of the first half drops into the basket during Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin is helped to his feet by teammates Jake Manson (1) and Jaxon Householder (30) in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

The Seneca Valley fan section shouts cross court to the Butler fan section during a tightly-contested Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Donovan Carney finishes off an alley-up from Tayt Lucas (12) in a Section 1 Class 6A matchup with Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Donovan Carney contorts through the defense of Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin in a Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin keeps the ball away from the defense from Butler’s Ayden Davis in a Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Andrew Gettinger gets a layup off through the defense of Seneca Valley’s Owen Congdon in a Section 1 Class 6A matchup at Seneca Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Braylon Littlejohn drives baseline as Seneca Valley’s Tyler Pepin defends in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

Butler’s Donovan Carney is defended tightly by Seneca Valley’s Esheza Okponobi in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

The Seneca Valley cheerleaders perform during a first quarter timeout against Butler in Section 1 Class 6A action at Seneca Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 26. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/26/24)

Kyle Prudhomme

The rally began innocently enough. Kai West sank a basket and free throw in the opening moments of the third quarter. Even when Pepin hit two shots from the stripe with 2:56 left in the period, Butler’s lead was still double digits at 45-32. But making shots became increasingly more difficult for Butler. The Tornado made three of 12 from the field in the third quarter. The offense dwindled to one of 10 in the fourth.

“Did we rush some shots,” asked Butler coach Matt Clement. “Yeah, a few, but we weren’t going to stop shooting. We did have a lot of good looks, but they just weren’t falling.

“It’s sickening to have a 32-5 run and not win.”

Pepin scored 11 straight points for the Raiders from late in the third to his trey with 4:07 left in the game that gave the Raiders a 52-49 lead, prompting an eruption from the home crowd.

“I was in the zone,” he said.

Braylon Littlejohn scored the Tornado’s first points of the quarter on a basket with under four minutes, but it was a very brief reprieve. SV’s Andrew Omasits completed a 3-point play with 3:30 left for a 55-51 edge.

Butler managed no field goals the rest of the way, just five free throws from Donovan Carney and Tayt Lucas.

“We have to find a way to win a game like this, a big section game when we have a big lead,” said Clement. “Do something different, sub in different players. It’s on me, but give Seneca credit. They scrambled, turned us over and did what they needed to do to come back and win.”

The second quarter must have seemed like a distant memory for Butler as the final seconds came off the clock. But Butler’s run was very impressive, spurred by Carney’s 13 points in the period.

Carney led the Tornado (14-3, 4-2) with 17 points, Littlejohn added 16 and Lucas 11.

Pepin was supported by 13 points from Owen Congdon and 12 from West.

“We have great leadership on this team and that helped us tonight,” said Trost.

BUTLER 56

Donovan Carney 7 2-2 17, Braylon Littlejohn 7 2-4 16, Tayt Lucas 3 3-3 11, Stainton Forbes 2 1-2 5, Andrew Gettinger 3 0-0 7, Ayden Davis 0 0-0 0, Coleton Welter 0 0-0 0, Kyle Casteel 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22 8-11 56.

SENECA VALLEY 61

Owen Congdon 6 1-2 13, Tyler Pepin 9 4-4 26, Kai West 5 2-3 12, Andrew Omasits 3 1-1 8, Ryan Priester 0 2-2 2, Esheza Okponobi 0 0-2 0, Jaxon Householder 0 0-0 0, Jake Manson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 10-14 61.

Butler 16 25 8 7 — 56

Seneca Valley 16 5 23 17 — 61

3-point goals: Butler 4 (Lucas 2, Carney, Gettinger); Seneca Valley 5 (Pepin 4, Omasits).

Tuesday: New Castle at Butler; Seneca Valley at Central Catholic