BETHEL PARK — Bethel Park couldn’t hit any shots. Butler couldn’t take any shots.

The former figured things out before the latter Friday night as the Black Hawks rolled to a 56-29 girls basketball victory over the Golden Tornado.

The game marked the finale of the Bethel Park Christmas Tournament. Chartiers Valley defeated Penn Hills, 56-34, earlier in the evening.

Bethel (8-1) won its seventh straight game — posting a 24-point average margin of victory during the streak — but struggled to get going offensively against the Tornado defense. The Black Hawks missed 16 of their first 18 shots and trailed 6-4 early in the second quarter.

“They were playing a junk defense, trying to shut down (junior guard) Megan (Marecic) and we were having trouble with it,” Bethel Park coach Jonna Burke said. “Our best defense is our man, but we went to more zone pressure to try to create some offensive chances.

“Fortunately, that worked out for us.”

While the Black Hawks were stifled early, Butler was turning the ball over. Ten minutes into the game, the Tornado had seven turnovers, four field-goal attempts and only one bucket.

Bethel scored the first 12 points of the second quarter — mostly on transition layups after turnovers — before Morgan Pfabe canned a baseline jumper with 1:56 left in the half. Pfabe’s field goal was Butler’s first in more than 11 minutes.

“We couldn’t reward our defensive effort with some points and that killed us,” Butler coach Dorothea Epps said. “They got a few quick baskets the other way and that was that.”

Butler (4-7) played most of the game without senior point guard Sam Marak, who was battling the flu. She started the game, but couldn’t get her wind.

“She couldn’t breathe out there,” Epps said. “Sam doesn’t score much, but she runs our offense, settles things down out there and she’s our best defensive player.

“You can see the difference when she’s not in there.”

The Tornado had 16 turnovers in the first half, 27 for the game.

“Their point guard is a veteran player ... I’m sure they missed her,” Burke said.

Epps said her team’s problems went beyond that.

“A lot of our errors are unforced,” she said. “We had passes going through our players’ hands, double-dribbles ... those are lack of focus things.

“Until we bear down and concentrate, this is how it’s going to be for this group.”

Butler was held to fewer than 35 points for the second time in two nights and it was the fifth occasion this season.

Tournament MVP Marecic scored 22 points — all in the second half — and sank five treys. She had six rebounds and four steals, as well. Samantha Simpson added 10 points and five rebounds, all in the first half.

Marecic averages 14 points per game.

“She’s an all-around player and a leader on our team,” Burke said.

Julia Baxter and Mackenzie O’Donnell both had 11 points and five rebounds for Butler. Baxter made the all-tournament team. Natalie Barkus had four steals, Baxter two for the Tornado.

The seven teams to defeat Butler this season have a combined record of 45-7.

“Our schedule has been brutal,” Epps admitted. “It’s been tough on these girls, but hopefully, it will pay off in section play.”

Bethel’s biggest lead of the night was 56-24 with 2:06 remaining. Burke is a former Butler head coach and close friends with Epps, who served on her staff with the Tornado.

“It’s still hard for me to play them because Dorothea is such a good friend,” Burke said. “But we needed a team for our tournament, they needed a tournament to go to ... Christmas time is about the only time in the regular season we want to play each other.”

BUTLER 29

Alyssa DiPippa 0-0 0-0 0, Natalie Barkus 0-2 0-0 0, Mackenzie O’Donnell 3-5 5-7 11, Samantha Marak 0-0 0-0 0, Morgan Pfabe 2-6 0-0 5, Noel Pfabe 0-0 0-0 0, Emily Eyth 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Bresnahan 0-1 0-0 0, Julia Baxter 4-8 3-6 11, Cait Baxter 0-5 0-0 0, Kaylnn Callihan 0-2 0-0 0, Paige Lambermont 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 9-29 10-16 29.

BETHEL PARK 56

Lauren Shaffer 0-1 0-0 0, Laura Page 1-2 0-0 2, Harper Zimmer 4-5 0-0 8, Mariah Penascino 0-7 0-0 0, Megan Marecic 8-16 1-1 22, Samantha Simpson 5-9 0-0 10, Elizabeth Neal 1-1 0-0 2, Paige Kochka-Puskar 3-7 0-0 6, Shannon Conley 2-3 0-0 4, Kaitlin Chess 1-2 0-0 2, Alexis Taylor 0-2 0-0 0, Mia Mattes 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 25-56 1-1 56.

Butler 6 4 10 9—29

Bethel Park4 14 18 20—56

3-point goals: Butler 1 (M.Pfabe); Bethel Park 5 (Marecic 5).

Thursday: Pine-Richland at Butler