WEXFORD — Two big runs constructed two different ways spelled the end to Butler's basketball season Saturday afternoon.

Penn Hills ended the first half with an 11-1 run to wipe out a 22-13 Golden Tornado lead. The Indians engineered a 16-0 run to overcome a three-point deficit in the third quarter and rolled to a 64-46 WPIAL Class AAAA boys basketball playoff victory at North Allegheny High School.

“That first run, they really grinded to take the lead before the half,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “We weren't playing bad. We didn't do anything wrong there. They just worked hard and took it from us.”

Penn Hills (18-5), seeded third in the tournament, played much of the second quarter without Jeremiah Ligon, its second leading scorer on the year. Ligon picked up two fouls in the first quarter.

He returned to spark the Indians' late run, sinking a pair of free throws and converting a lay-up before the buzzer to give Penn Hills a 24-23 lead at intermission.

“This was the first playoff game our guys have experienced and we were definitely tight early,” Penn Hills coach Dan DeRose said. “But it's OK to be nervous. I thought we would eventually settle in.

“Not having Ligon on the floor makes a big difference, too. He's a big part of everything we do.”

Still, the Tornado (15-8) weren't done. Tyler Frederick and Joel Stutz drained treys on consecutive possessions to give Butler a 31-28 lead with 5:35 left in the third quarter.

Then it came apart.

Penn Hills scored the final 16 points of the quarter, took a 44-31 lead into the fourth, and Butler never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

The Indians sank 14 of 16 free throws in the final quarter to pull away at the end.

“They made their free throws to close it out,” Clement said. “This was a closer game than the final score shows.”

Butler had 25 turnovers on the day, including a rash of them in the third quarter that fueled the Penn Hills run.

“We knew what was coming,” Clement said of the Indians' defensive pressure. “They score most of their points off turnovers. We practiced and prepared to handle their trap.

“We started to panic with the ball a little bit. We didn't execute.”

DeRose said his team wasn't executing its trap well enough early.

“We weren't aggressive enough with it,” he said. “Our guys weren't coming up and taking away lanes.

“I said before the pairings were announced, Butler is probably the best shooting team in the tournament. They have a lot of guys who can hit the three. When you trap, if you don't get there, you're going to give up open looks. That's what happened to us early.”

Butler sank four treys in the first quarter. Penn Hills averages 22 takeaways per game.

“If we didn't get more than 20 turnovers today, we were going to lose,” DeRose said.

Sherron Schifino and Ligon scored 14 points each for the Indians. Chavar Williamson had 11 points and nine rebounds. Penn Hills enjoyed a 34-24 advantage in rebounding.

“Our two bigs (Frederick and Connor Ollio) picked up two fouls early and I decided to sit them for a while,” Clement said. “We had the lead ... That's always a tough call for a coach.

“Jason Gray and Jefferson Ford came in and gave us good minutes, hitting a three, taking charges, grabbing rebounds. They did a great job.”

Luke Michalek paced Butler with 10 points. Ollio added nine. Frederick and Joel Stutz had five rebounds each, Kaden Rock three steals.

“I thought we had a nice (tournament) run in us, but it's not going to happen,” Clement said. “I can't look too far ahead because I'm thinking of my three seniors now.

“Kaden Rock, Kelley Kuharic, Damien Pickett ... They were exemplary teammates. Our success wouldn't have happened without them.”

BUTLER 46

Kaden Rock 2-9 0-0 6, Luke Michalek 4-9 0-1 10, Kelley Kuharic 1-3 1-2 4, Jace Stutz 0-3 2-4 2, Jason Gray 0-2 0-0 0, Tyler Frederick 1-6 3-5 6, Connor Ollio 4-7 1-1 9, Joel Stutz 2-7 1-1 6, Jefferson Ford 1-1 0-0 3. Totals: 15-48 8-14 46.

PENN HILLS 64

Sherron Schifino 4-8 4-4 14, Cory Fulton 0-4 6-67 6, Cameron Jefferies 1-2 1-2 3, Jeremiah Ligon 4-7 5-6 14, Brennon Hill 0-1 0-0 0, Daivon Stephens 3-4 2-2 8, Dante Wright 0-1 0-0 0, Devon Thomas 2-3 0-2 6, Chavar Williamson 4-7 3-5 11, Keith Yarborough 0-0 0-0 0, Jamil Tarver 0-1 0-2 0, Julian Bennett 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-40 21-29 64.

Butler 17 6 8 15 — 46

Penn Hills12 12 20 20 — 64

3-point goals: Rock 2, Michalek 2, Kuharic, Frederick, Jo.Stutz, Ford; Schifino 2, Ligon, Thomas 2