BUTLER TWP — The Butler girls basketball team won't have point guard Lyndsy Day.

What the Golden Tornado hope they do have is a defense for 6-foot-3 junior center Emily Correal, who is the marquee player on the Peters Township team that Butler will face in a WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal game at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Ambridge.

"She is a dominating inside player, and that's something we really haven't seen in our section,"Butler coach Dorothea Epps said.

Correal averages 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Indians (18-7), who have defeated the likes of New Castle, Oakland Catholic and North Allegheny this season. She's been offered a scholarship by Duquesne University, but has yet to accept.

Peters Township enters this game winners of six of its last seven games, including a 38-35 decision over Fox Chapel in the first round of the WPIAL tournament last weekend.

"Emily is going to get hers, but we have other players who are going to get theirs, too," Peters Township coach Dennis Squeglia said. "We average 53 points per game. We're a very balanced team."

Correal is the only Peters Township player averaging in double figures, but junior guard Lexi Kamphaus scored a game-high 16 points in the playoff win over Fox Chapel. Correal had 14 in that game.

Senior forward Maura Lacey scored 14 points in a 49-45 win over Latrobe to close the regular season.

"We have different players capable of stepping up,"Squeglia said. "I know Butler has that, too."

Peters Township's starters are Correal, Kamphaus, Lacey, 5-7 junior point guard Maddie Miller and 5-11 senior forward Carol Sternweis.

Sternweis is starting for 6-3 senior forward Laura Hammell, who suffered a knee injuryin the Indians' section finale against Canon-McMillan Jan. 31.

"I've gone nine deep all season, so Carol was ready to step in and she's done well,"Squeglia said. "Now I'm going eight deep and I can count on all eight of those girls."

The Tornado (23-2) lost senior point guard Day (7.1 ppg) to a knee injury less than two minutes into their 36-32 first-round playoff win over Hempfield.

"We had an MRIdone and it doesn't look good,"Epps said. "I'm 99.9 percent sure Lyndsy won't play Friday. If we can get to the state tournament, hopefully ... maybe we can get her back then."

Butler will reach the state tournament with a win Friday — or a Peters Township win in the semifinal round.

In Day's absence, sophomore Olivia Bresnahan will take over point guard duties, backed up by senior Karissa King.

Butler's starting five will likely be Bresnahan (15.7 ppg.), King (3.0), Kayla Gilliland (7.1), Erica Miller (6.3) and Casie Cygan (8.9). Cygan, a sophomore, replaced Day and scored 10 points against Hempfield.

"What I liked about that game is that so many players contributed for us defensively," Epps said. "Defense is still our bread and butter."

Jenna Manuel (7.6 ppg) and Katherine Sylvia are part of a strong Butler bench. Sylvia sank two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to cement the playoff win over Hempfield.

While Butler is nearly an annual participant in the Quad-A playoffs, Peters Township is here for the first time since becoming a Quad-A program four years ago.

The Indians have never won a WPIALtitle at any classification. Their won-loss records in Squeglia's four years at the helm have been 7-17, 8-16, 15-9 and 18-7.