BUTLER TWP — Dorothea Epps has seen this script before and she's ready to rip it up.

The Butler girls basketball coach watched her team take a three-point lead into the fourth quarter Monday night against Shaler, only to be outscored 19-6 in the final period on the way to a 53-43 loss.

The defeat was the fifth in six games for the Golden Tornado (13-7, 6-5 — all section contests.

"We let it get away late — again," Epps said. "This is just a pattern that's developed and I don't know what it will take to get us out of it."

The victory pulled visiting Shaler (13-6, 6-5) into a tie with Butler for the fourth and final playoff spot in Section 3-AAAA. Both teams have three section games remaining.

"This game was no more important to us than the rest of them," Shaler coach Eric Mozzetti said. "We dug ourselves a hole earlier in the season. Now we're just trying to dig ourselves out."

The Titans took a major step in that direction Monday. Neither team ever led by more than four points until less than 30 seconds remained in the contest. The game was tied seven times and the lead changed hands 14 times.

The final lead change occurred when Shaler's Melissa McQuade drained a 3-pointer with 4:10 left in the contest. That shot — the Titans' lone trey of the night — gave the visitors a 43-42 lead.

Two free throws by Jackie Sauer hiked the lead to 45-42 with 2:58 on the clock. A free throw by Butler's Amy Achesinski cut the margin to two and the teams traded turnovers at that point.

Unable to steal the ball, Butler was forced to foul Shelly Grenesko with 36 seconds left. She sank both shots.

The Titans clinched the victory when McQuade stole the ball in the backcourt and drove for an uncontested layup with 21 seconds remaining.

Two free throws each bv Grenesko and McQuade in the final 15 seconds accounted for the final score.

"This is the way we can play when we don't panic," Mozzetti said. "We're capable of playing better than this, actually."

Shaler sank all 10 of its free throw attempts in the fourth quarter and converted 22 of 25 on the night. The Titans suffered only seven turnovers all night — two in the second half.

Butler sank just two of seven free throws in the fourth quarter and had 14 turnovers in the game.

"We came out with no fire, no intensity at all," Epps said. "It's as if these girls think we're already in the playoffs or something."

McQuade paced the Titans with 17 points and six rebounds. Sauer scored 14 points off the bench while Jill DiNucci added 13 points and six boards.

Achesinski paced the Tornado with 12 points and nine rebounds. She scored 22 points in Butler's 53-34 win at Shaler Jan. 3.

"We didn't do anything differently against her," Mozzetti said. "We just played defense this time."

Maria Baroffio added nine points for Butler and Samantha Karns had five rebounds. The Tornado had a 30-27 edge on the boards.

Achesinski did not sink a field goal in the first half and was three-of-11 from the floor overall.

"They're not just going to let us throw the ball in to her," Epps said. "We have to work to get Amy open. Our offense had no flow, no patience tonight.

"Now we have to go to Seneca Valley (Thursday) and they're playing very well right now. We have no one else to blame. We put ourselves in this situation and we have to fight our way out."

SHALER 53Kristen Devlin 0-0 0-0 0, Shelly Grenesko 1-4 5-6 7, Melissa McQuade 5-10 6-8 17, Libby Soeder 0-4 2-2 2, Julianne Harris 0-0 0-0 0, Jackie Sauer 5-11 4-4 14, Jill DiNucci 4-12 5-6 13. Totals: 15-41 22-25 53

BUTLER 43Abby Herrit 1-1 0-1 2, Rachel Barry 2-3 3-4 7, Lyndsy Day 1-3 0-0 2, Elizabeth Schuktz 0-1 0-0 0, Amy Achesinski 3-11 6-8 12, Maria Baroffio 4-6 0-2 9, Julie Ehrman 3-13 0-1 9, Samantha Karns 1-1 0-0 2, Ashley Nocera 0-2 0-0 0, Michelle Ritchey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-41 9-16 43

3-point goals: McQuade; Baroffio, Ehrman 3

JV: Butler, 35-27 (B-Elizabeth Schultz 7, Ashley Onufrak 7; S-Olivia DiNucci 8)

Thursday: Butler @ Seneca Valley