PLUM - Butler knew it was facing a good defense.

The Golden Tornado didn't know they would generate next to no offense.

Plum limited Butler to 11 points in the first half Saturday night and cruised to a 59-44 boys basketball victory

"Hey, they're a very good basketball team," Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said. "Our big guys got in foul trouble early and we couldn't get anything going."

Nate Hartung picked up three fouls in the first half and Jade Burka picked up two in the first quarter. Butler (8-6) sank just four of 13 field goal attempts in the first half.

Plum (9-4) built a 28-11 lead by halftime as both teams were coming off one-point losses from Friday night.

The Mustangs allow an average of just 45 points per game.

"I guess you could call this game the battle of the broken hearts," Plum coach Ron Richards said. "I'm pleased with the way we came out and played, but this is high school basketball.

"We're dealing with kids and you never know how a game's going to go. We've scored 11 points in a half before. We were held scoreless in a quarter this year.

"We play an aggressive man-to-man defense. We're not as big and talented as other teams in our section, so we have to play that style. I patterned our defense after Mark Jula and George Abraham-coached teams at Butler," Richards added.

Mike McKee, Plum's 6-foot-4 senior guard averaging 22 points per game, outscored Butler in the first half himself. He scored 15 of his 20 points in the first two quarters, sinking three treys.

McKee accepted a basketball scholarship from Kent State University in the preseason. Yough's Ben McCauley (North Carolina State) is the only other Western Pennsylvania boys basketball player to sign early with a Division 1 school.

"That tells you what kind of player he is," Lewandowski said. "But we put Jerrod Markle on him in the second half and he only scored five points."

And Butler got back in the game. When Plum's Victor Hill nailed a trey early in the third quarter, the Tornado trailed 31-11.

Adam Monday came off the bench and hit four 3-pointers for Butler in the second half. The fourth pulled Butler within 43-33 with 6:43 left in the contest.

Monday and Hartung led Butler with 14 points each. Hartung scored 11 of his 14 in the second half.

"Our kids aren't going to quit and just go away," Lewandowski said. "Adam gave us a tremendous lift off the bench.

"Plum runs their sets very well and they can spread the floor offensively. They're a tough team to come back on."

The Mustangs forced Butler to foul midway through the fourth quarter. Senior guard Josh Rulnick sank seven of eight free throws in the final period and Plum took 23 foul shots in the final eight minutes to secure the win.

Rulnick scored 15 points and Plum had 37 free throws to Butler's 14.

Noah Hartung had six of 21 Butler rebounds. Plum turned the ball over only eight times all night.

The Tornado return to section play Tuesday night as part of a girls-boys doubleheader at New Castle.

"One of the goals these boys set for themselves in preseason was to win at New Castle," Lewandowski said. "These guys want to start a new tradition and Butler hasn't won there in years.

"Both teams are 3-3 in the section, so this game has huge ramifications leading into the second half of the season."

Butler's junior varsity claimed a 41-40 overtime victory over Plum Saturday when Aaron Dorondo stuck back an offensive rebound just before the buzzer.

BUTLER 44

Nate Hartung 6-7 2-6 14, Noah Hartung 1-9 2-6 5, Jerrod Markle 3-9 0-0 7, Blake Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Jade Burka 2-3 0-0 4, Sean Lowry 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Martini 0-1 0-0 0, Adam Monday 4-7 2-2 14, Chris Anthony 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-37 6-14 44

PLUM 59

Josh Rulnick 2-4 11-12 15, Jared Barbarino 2-3 2-3 6, Anthony DellaSalla 1-2 0-2 2, Geoff Kolton 0-2 1-2 1, Mike McKee 5-10 6-8 20, Victor Hill 3-6 1-2 9, Nathan Caldwell 0-1 2-2 2, John Sharp 1-1 2-5 4. Totals: 14-29 25-37 59

3-point goals: Noah Hartung, Markle, Monday 4; McKee 4, Hill 2

JV: Butler, 41-40, OT (B-Lowry 9)

Tuesday: Butler @ New Castle