BUTLER TWP — Extended runs in basketball can be fun — unless they’re happening to you.

North Hills fell behind 4-0 in the first three minutes Friday night at Butler, then went on a 20-0 run to seize control.

The Indians (10-3, 6-1) added a 17-0 run early in the third quarter in racing to a 61-24 girls basketball victory over the Golden Tornado.

“Those runs are nice when you get them,” North Hills coach Lauren Wilmus said. “But runs that long don’t happen very often.”

Butler (2-11, 0-7) went eight minutes without scoring a point after grabbing that early 4-0 lead. Mia Rader finally ended the drought with a lay-up with 6:45 left in the first half.

The Tornado trailed 29-13 at halftime before a Jenna Kunst lay-up began the third quarter. North Hills scored the next 17 points to put the game out of reach.

“They just got on a roll and hit some big shots,” Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said. “Some of those three’s were from four feet behind the arc.

“When a team is hitting shots like that, you have to give them credit for it.”

The Indians sank seven treys on the night and held a 32-11 advantage in rebounding for the night. Jessica Bowen had 14 points and eight rebounds, Anna Tresser 13 points and five boards, Jamie Halloran 12 points, six assists and five steals.

Halloran, who averages 18 points a game, was held scoreless in the first half.

“Jamie is a patient player, though. She doesn’t panic,” Wilmus said. “And she was helping the team in other ways.”

Lewandowski agreed.

“That girl is a complete player. She was hurting us without scoring,” he said.

Alyssa Eyth paced the Tornado with eight points and five rebounds. While Butler is winless in section play, North Hills has won nine of its last 10 games.

Butler had 20 turnovers in the contest compared to the Indians 10.

“You can’t play defense against turnovers,” Lewandowski said. “They were turn outs for run outs for (North Hills) tonight. They were getting a lot of quick points the other way.

“That’s what’s been happening to us. All we can do is keep working hard to get better. The effort is there. It has been all year.”

NORTH HILLS 61

Jordan O’Malley 2-5 0-0 5, Jessica Bowen 6-9 1-4 14, Alyssa Aguglia 0-0 0-0 0, Leah Ussack 0-0 0-0 0, Jamie Halloran 5-13 0-0 12, Anna Tresser 5-8 0-1 13, Kristen Collins 3-4 0-0 7, Sierra Ungerman 3-5 4-6 10, Sarah Raschner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-44 6-11 61.

BUTLER 24

Mia Rader 2-3 0-0 5, Liz Kuhn 0-0 0-0 0, Alyssa Eyth 4-10 0-2 8, Melea Barlow 0-0 0-0 0, Jenna Kunst 2-4 0-2 4, Sydney Hanratty 0-0 0-0 0, Noel Pfabe 0-1 1-2 1, Kelsee Callihan 0-1 0-0 0, Julia Gibson 1-3 0-0 2, Tiana Schaffner 0-3 0-0 0, Kailey Olenick 0-1 0-2 0, Heidi Gross 0-1 1-2 1, Emilee Altman 0-0 0-0 0, Allison Schubert 1-1 0-0 3. Totals: 10-26 2-10 24.

North Hills 16 13 21 11 — 61

Butler4 9 5 6 — 24

3-point goals: O’Malley, Bowen, Halloran 2, Collins, Tresser 2; Rader, Schubert

JV: None

Monday: Butler at Shaler