BUTLER TWP — Butler was down while Sydney Patterson was out.

The Golden Tornado point guard went to the bench with three fouls midway through the first quarter against defending WPIAL 3A champion Avonworth on Friday and did not play the remainder of the first half.

Butler’s girls trailed 26-15 at halftime of their Christmas Tiournament basketball game.

Patterson returned to action to begin the third quarter — prompting a 14-2 Butler run that gave the Tornado a brief lead — but Butler could not sustain it in dropping a 56-49 decision to the Antelopes.

“You can see the difference she makes ... We’re a different team when she’s on the floor,” Butler coach Mark Maier said. “I have to shoulder some of the blame there. I should have gotten her out of there after the second foul and I didn’t.”

Patterson went to the bench with 3:48 left in the first period and the Tornado trailing, 9-2. She made a rather electrifying return to begin the second half.

She completed a three-point play seconds into the third quarter. She added a layup, two free throws, assisted on an Avery Maier layup, then sank another free throw to pull Butler (2-7) within 28-26 with 4:27 left in the third period.

Cameryn Booher drained a trey to giver the Tornado a 29-28 lead with 3:29 left in the frame. It would be Butler’s lone lead of the game.

“She is an outstanding player,” Avonworth coach Nick Dizon said of Patterson. “She came out, started attacking the basket and created a lot of fouls.

“Once we adjusted and denied her that lane to the hoop, we were able to get things back under control.”

The Antelopes (7-1) closed the quarter with a 12-4 run of their own.

Butler got as close as five at 51-46 when Jess Chwalik sank a free throw with 2:17 to play. But Avonworth held the Tornado at bay from there.

“Sydney carried us on her back for a while to begin the second half,” Maier said. “We need her on the floor. The foul trouble hurt us today.”

So did 22 turnovers and seven missed free throws in the fourth quarter.

“We had our chances, that’s for sure,” Maier said.

Avonworth returns three starters from its WPIAL title team of a year ago. Rebecca Goetz led the Antelopes with 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists. She sank 11 of 12 free throws.

Greta O’Brien had 16 points and four rebounds for Avonworth. Goetz, O’Brien and Fiona Mahan all fouled out for the Antelopes.

Chwalik and Patterson fouled out for Butler.

“There’s no style points in this game,” Dizon said. “I loved the way our bench stepped up today. We needed solid minutes from them and we got that.

“We came to this tournament last year and lost both games, but those games were probably more valuable than any of our wins in terms of what we learned.”

Amelia McMichael tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds — her second double-double in as many days — for Butler. Chwalik had 11 points and seven boards, Patterson 11 points and a pair of assists.

Butler begins section play on Tuesday night, hosting Seneca Valley. The Tornado will try to snap a five-game skid.

“We’ve been through the gauntlet, playing a lot of tough teams,” Maier said. “Now it’s a new season. We wipe the slate clean. But there’s no question, we need to get better.”

AVONWORTH 56

Eden Schleis 0-3 0-0 0, Anna Bradley 2-5 1-2 6, Greta O’Brien 6-18 2-2 16, Rebecca Goetz 7-15 11-12 25, Emma Obersteiner 1-4 0-0 2, Fiona Mahan 0-0 0-0 0, Bria Onyshko 0-0 1-2 1, Sydney Savatt 2-4 2-2 6. Totals: 18-49 17-22 56.

BUTLER 49

Malina McElroy 1-4 0-0 2, Jess Chwalik 4-10 3-4 11, Cameryn Booher 1-4 0-0 3, Eva Stutz 1-3 1-2 3, Sydnery Patterson 2-3 7-9 11, Ashton Huff 0-2 0-0 0, Avery Maier 2-4 1-2 6, Amelia McMichael 2-16 6-12 11, Casey Clouse 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 14-47 18-29 49.

Avonworth 11 15 14 16 — 56

Butler 6 9 18 16 — 49

3-point goals: Avonworth 3 (Bradley, O’Brien 2), Butler 3 (Booher, Maier, McMichael)

Tuesday: Seneca Valley at Butler