Wow!

By John Enrietto Eagle Sports Editor

February 11, 2012 Last Updated: February 11, 2012 01:38 PM High School

Butler's boys basketball team members mob Matt Baranchak following his buzzer-beating layup that defeated Seneca Valley, 52-50, in double overtime Friday night. The win put the Golden Tornado in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs.

Baranchak's buzzer-beating layup sends Butler back to playoffs

BUTLER TWP — Add another element to Nate Snodgrass' game.

Trust.

And Matt Baranchak didn't let him — or anybody else in Butler High School's packed gymnasium — down.

Snodgrass fired a pass from the top of the perimeter to Baranchak as the latter was cutting toward the basket along the left baseline. Baranchak laid the ball in with just under two seconds remaining in the second overtime to give Butler a heart-stopping 52-50 boys basketball victory over rival Seneca Valley Friday night.

The victory put the Golden Tornado (11-11, 6-6) in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs for the third consecutive year. The Raiders (13-9, 6-6) had clinched a playoff spot last week.

Seneca Valley had possession of the ball at the end of regulation and both overtimes, but was unable to produce the winning points.

“Three times there, we had to dig in, backs to the wall, high school careers on the line,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “I can't say enough about these kids.”

The biggest lead all night by either team was Seneca Valley's 37-30 advantage with 5:01 left in regulation. Cody West's fourth trey of the game cut that gap to four and the Tornado sank 11-of-12 free throws in the final 3:24 of the fourth period to force overtime.

The game was tied eight times and the lead changed hands on nine occasions.

Alex Maxfield's shot at the buzzer deflected off the rim short to end regulation. Baranchak stole a Raiders' pass with six seconds left in the first overtime and West's desperation shot from just inside half-court bounced harmlessly off the top of the backboard.

Snodgrass sank two free throws with 51 seconds left in the second OT to knot the game at 50. The Raiders played for the final shot, but Easton Bazzoli missed with five seconds left and Butler's David Tompkins grabbed the rebound.

“I was trying to get a timeout there, but I saw we had a quick break up the floor, so I let it go,” Clement said.

Tompkins hit Snodgrass with an outlet pass and the Tornado point guard — sore ankle and all — took off the other way.

“They (Raiders) were trying to peel back and I was trying to beat them down the floor,” Snodgrass said. “I was gonna try to create contact by driving the lane, but I saw Matt come open.

“I trusted him to finish the play and he did.”

Snodgrass did not play Tuesday at Central Catholic because of a severe ankle sprain.

“It felt maybe 95 percent during this game,” he said. “It's a little sore now, but I'll be ready for the playoffs.”

Baranchak took the Snodgrass pass, beat the pursuit to the hoop and put his team back in postseason on Senior Night. He was mobbed by a pile of teammates and fans seconds later.

“Pure joy,” Baranchak said. “You always have to be ready for a pass in those kind of breakouts. I trust Nate's judgment there.

“I would have been fine if he didn't make the pass and took it himself.”

Seneca Valley coach Victor Giannotta wasn't fine with the way the game ended.

“2.7 seconds. That's the time I saw on the clock when the ball went in the basket,” Giannotta said. “I'm still waiting for my timeout. I was calling for it. The officials have to be looking for it there.

“They just ran right off the floor.”

Snodgrass paced Butler with 18 points and five assists. West had 16 points and four rebounds, Baranchak 10 points and five boards, Tompkins 11 rebounds.The Tornado had 17 turnovers in the first three quarters — none in the fourth quarter or either overtime.Maxfield had 18 points and eight rebounds for Seneca Valley. Chad Albert had 11 points, Bazzoli 10, Matt Smith seven rebounds.The Raiders won eight of their final 12 regular season games, the losses coming by one-point to North Allegheny twice, two points to Shaler and two points to Butler.“Great game, great atmosphere,” Giannotta said of Friday's game. “Congratulations to Butler.”Clement offered special congratulations to Baranchak before the two headed to the locker room.“This is the kid's secondary sport,” Clement said. “He got cut from his seventh grade team. To enjoy a moment like he did on Senior Night ... That's why you play high school athletics.“You just can't buy a memory like that.”SENECA VALLEY 50Matt Smith 2-7 0-3 4, Easton Bazzoli 5-13 0-0 10, Chad Albert 5-9 0-0 11, Alex Maxfield 9-14 0-1 18, R.J. McCauley 0-3 1-2 1, Austin Bream 1-2 4-6 6, Alex Snyder 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 22-50 5-12 50.BUTLER 52Nate Snodgrass 2-11 14-14 18, Cody West 5-9 2-2 16, Seth Horwat 0-1 0-0 0, Trevor Wideman 0-3 0-0 0, Dom Pusateri 0-1 0-0 0, Luke Hartung 1-3 0-0 2, Matt Baranchak 3-4 4-6 10, David Tompkins 3-5 0-2 6. Totals: 14-36 20-26 52.Seneca Valley 5 12 14 13 2 4—50Butler 5 10 11 18 2 6—523-point goals: Seneca Valley 1 (Albert); Butler 4 (West 4).Junior varsity: Butler, 63-51 (B: Luke Tincha 12, Jordan Cratty 12; SV: Zach Spangler 16, Matt Darby 11Tuesday: WPIAL playoff meeting, Greentree

Butler's Cody West (20) drives for the basket between Seneca Valley defenders Easton Bazzoli (5) and Alex Maxfield (23) during the Golden Tornado's 52-50 doubleovertime win Friday night.