Butler basketball: Jace Gratzmiller helps out as Golden Tornado power back for win over Obama

November 29, 2025 Last Updated: November 29, 2025 10:51 PM Sports

Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) takes it to the rim during a game against Obama Academy in a season-opening boys basketball game against during the Geneva Tip-Off Tournament at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

BEAVER FALLS — Jace Gratzmiller readily admits he’s not a star.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Fellow seniors Butler seniors Andrew Gettinger and Stainton Forbes combined for 43 points, but Gratzmiller’s pair of free throw makes with 14 seconds left sealed the Golden Tornado’s 54-52 season-opening win over Obama Academy on Saturday night.

He also made things hard on Eagles (0-1) point guard Naron Jackson II, who fired off a last-gasp 3-point try from the top of the arc, only to see it fall short of the rim.

“He’s just as important as we are,” Forbes said afterward at Geneva College’s Metheny Fieldhouse. “He’s a glue guy. He holds everything together. He works hard every day. We love him.”

“I’m definitely a role player,” Gratzmiller said. “Feed off Stainton and Getty. That’s how it is. Whatever they need. If one night I need to score 12, 20, and one night I score zero points, as long as I get rebounds and assists — and as long as we win — that’s all that matters.”

Boden Lenyk was tasked with face-guarding Jackson on the in-bounding play.

“I literally said to him as (the play unfolded), I’m like, ‘Yo, switch that,’” Gratzmiller said. “Me and Boden have a lot of chemistry on defense. We had summer league. Me and him switched a lot on face-guarding. I was like, ‘You know what? I got him.’”

Butler (1-0) made a late surge after falling behind by as many as 15 points. The Golden Tornado went 7-for-28 (25%) from the field in the first half and made only one of their 15 tries from deep. They scored only five points in the initial frame and were down 30-18 at the midway point.

Butler head coach Matt Clement celebrates as Butler works on closing the gap between them and Obama Academy in a season-opening boys basketball game against during the Geneva Tip-Off Tournament at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

“Honestly, I think it’s just the first game,” Forbes said. “There’s so much energy in the building. We had to settle down and really get into it, and that’s when we started knocking them down.”

Butler coach Matt Clement added that his players were throwing up shots from the college 3-point line instead of the high school arc.

“It got us off to a rough start, along with the jitters,” Clement said.

Jackson scored a team-high 16 points for Obama Academy, but was held to just six in the second half.

“I thought the defensive effort, really, from Mav, hounding that point guard (Jackson) up and down the court, he ended up missing three foul shots,” Clement said. “That guy might not miss three foul shots the rest of the year. That defensive effort got some turnovers, just made us tougher.”

Butler’s Zavyr Gregory (20) celebrates as Butler defeated Obama Academy 54-52 in a season-opening boys basketball game against during the Geneva Tip-Off Tournament at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Lenyk and Gratzmiller both cycled in, as well.

Forbes gave the Golden Tornado their first lead on a 3-pointer with 1:44 to play. Jackson split a pair of free throw attempts on the other end before Gettinger knocked two down. Jackson evened it at 52 apiece with 46 seconds left, then clanked a few moments later.

Gratzmiller didn’t make the same mistake.

“I’ve just gotta make the shots,” Gratzmiller said. “We worked hard all game, and I (didn’t) wanna miss them. I had to make them.”

Butler’s Jace Gratzmiller (3) drives the ball up the court in a season-opening boys basketball game against during the Geneva Tip-Off Tournament at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

OBAMA ACADEMY 52

Naron Jackson II 6 1-4 16, Zion Conner 7 1-2 15, Darnell Turner 2 0-0 6, Jaden Colbert 2 0-0 6, Sheikh Long 2 0-0 4, Jorden Colbert 1 0-0 3, Stephon Malloy 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 2-6 52.

BUTLER 54

Andrew Gettinger 7 8-10 25, Stainton Forbes 8 0-0 18, Jaydon Wilbert 3 0-0 4, Boden Lenyk 1 0-0 3, Mavrik Clement 1 0-0 2, Jace Gratzmiller 0 2-2 2. Totals: 20 10-12 54.

Obama Academy 17 13 12 10 — 52

Butler 5 13 16 20 — 54

3-point goals: Obama Academy 8 (Jackson 3, Turner 2, Ja. Colbert 2, Jo. Colbert); Butler 6 (Gettinger 3, Forbes 2, Lenyk)

Rob McGraw