BUTLER TWP — North Allegheny showed the Butler girls basketball team what needs to improve.

On both ends of the floor, the Golden Tornado need to find more consistency. Butler only had three players score field goals in its 56-42 Section 3-AAA loss Thursday night.

The Golden Tornado (3-2, 1-1) had their three-game winning streak snapped. Butler had won its last two games, scoring fewer than 40 points in each game.

Butler coach Dorothea Epps thought the loss to North Allegheny (5-1, 3-0) would serve as a good lesson.

“This is what Section 3 is about,” Epps said. “It's a different speed, the strength is different. Mostly all teams play like that in our section. It's good they had to go through this early so they can see what it takes to defend these kinds of teams.”

The Tigers used their 3-point shooting to get ahead of Butler early. Alyssa DiPippa scored a layup off the opening tip to give the Golden Tornado their only lead nine seconds into the game.

North Allegheny responded with an 11-2 run, started by 3-pointers from Devvin LaBarge and Taylor Brennan.

The Tigers shot 58 percent (7 of 12) from beyond the arc.

“It wasn't a focus coming in,” North Allegheny coach Sherri McConnell said. “I thought we did a good job of passing and getting it inside and looking for the outside shot. We had some nice comfortable looks and knocked them down.”

DiPippa said North Allegheny's mix of size and guards caused Butler some issues defensively.

Brennan (13 points), Taylor Lake (10) and Danielle Wall (10) finished in double figures for the Tigers.

“They have the big girls getting a lot of rebounds,” DiPippa said. “We kind of got sucked in, but had to go out to guard their 3-point shooters.”

Butler's offense, outside of DiPippa and Julia Baxter, never found its rhythm.

The Golden Tornado trailed 28-13 at halftime and 42-24 after the third. Butler shot 37 percent (14 of 38) from the field).

DiPippa and Baxter both finished with 17 points and combined for 12 of Butler's 14 field goals. Baxter added nine rebounds.

Butler didn't have another player make a field goal until Ronni Guiney made a layup with 7:10 remaining in the game.

“We've got to get one or two girls to step up on both ends, really,” Epps said. “We can't have two girls shooting 90 percent of the shots. Everybody has a green light, they just don't want to go. We need to find somebody more offensive minded.”

North Allegheny pushed its lead to 52-28 in the middle of the fourth quarter when the Golden Tornado responded. Butler went on a 12-0 run, capped by two free throws from Baxter with 1:53 remaining.

The Tigers never let Butler get any closer.

“We need more people to contribute on offense and defense,” DiPippa said. “We need them to look to score and be confident when they have the ball in their hands.”

NORTH ALLEGHENY 56

Devvin LaBarge 2-5 0-0 6, Taylor Brennan 4-9 2-2 13, Taylor Lake 5-8 0-0 10, Abby Gonzales 2-4 0-2 4, Danielle Wall 5-7 0-0 10, Sammie Dallier 0 1-2 1, Sarah Clogan 3-4 8, Carolyn Miller 0 0-0 0, Meg Morningstart 2 0-1 4. Totals: 23 3-7 56.

BUTLER 42

Alyssa DiPippa 6-15 5-6 17, Dani Hensel 0 0-0, Kalynn Callihan 0-5 0-1 0, Lauren Bresnahan 0-2 2-2 2, Julia Baxter 6 5-6 17, Melea Barlow 0 0-0 0, Allison Shubert 0 0-0 0, Ronni Guiney 2 0-1 4, Tiana Schaffner 0-2 0-1, Paige Lambermont 0 2-4 2. Totals: 14 14-21 42.

North Allegheny 13 15 16 12—56

Butler6 7 11 18—42

3-point goals: North Allegheny 7 (Brennan 3, LaBarge 2, Clogan 2)

JV: North Allegheny 50-29.

Dec. 27: Chartiers Valley at Butler Christmas Tournament