BUTLER TWP— Both teams were playing without their most productive guards.

Neither team played like it was a non-conference basketball game on opening weekend.

Butler's girls trailed by 17 with 5:26 remaining before a furious rally fell short in a 56-53 loss to Mercyhurst Prep in the championship game of the Butler Tip-Off Tournament Saturday night in the Golden Tornado gym.

The Lakers lost senior point guard Lindsay Moore late in the first quarter when she banged her head on the floor during a collision as she drove to the basket. Butler lost sophomore guard Olivia Bresnahan when she turned an ankle with 3:16 left and the Tornado still trailing by 10, 51-41.

Neither injury is believed to be serious.

"Our girls never gave up, even when Olivia left the game,"Butler coach Dorothea Epps said. "It was good to see that because, sometimes, I think we look to her (Bresnahan) too much out there."

After losing Moore early, Mercyhurst lost senior forwards Kara Milhisler and Victoria Majewski to fouls during Butler's fourth-quarter rally.

"Sometimes your mix is disrupted when you lose players like that,"Mercyhurst coach Dan Perfetto said. "We like to think one of our strengths is depth and that depth was put to the test in this game."

Senior forward Kirsten Olowinski sank a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left to give the Lakers a 56-50 lead. Karissa King responded with a 3-pointer for Butler with 28 seconds to go.

After Amanda Debello missed two free throws with 17 seconds on the clock, the Tornado had a chance to tie. King got an open look for a trey just before the buzzer, but it caromed off the rim.

"It just came up a little short,"Epps said.

Butler shot 60 percent while defeating Ambridge 71-37 on Friday night. The Tornado connected on just five of 26 shots in the first half Saturday and 10 of 42 entering the fourth quarter.

Butler scored 27 points in the first three quarters — 26 points in the final period. Mercyhurst suffered nine of its 26 turnovers in the final period.

"You learn from non-section losses like this. That's why we play them,"Epps said. "We settled for jump shots tonight instead of playing our game. We had a chance to create some things driving to the hoop, but we settled for jumpers.

"We can't let teams takes us out of our game."

Courtney Schaetzle scored 16 points and had eight rebounds while Olowinski had 15 points and nine boards for the Lakers (2-0), a Class AAAteam returning two starters from a 22-5 season last year.

Bresnahan had 15 points, six rebounds and four steals for Butler before getting hurt. Senior forward Kayla Gilliland added 13 points and six boards — including 10 points in the final quarter.

Mercyhurst had a 36-25 edge on the boards. Butler committed only 10 turnovers.

Ambridge 58, Hollidaysburg 54 — Senior guard Kiki Brown struck for a career-high 40 points, including six treys, to lead the Bridgers in the consolation game. She attempted 24 of her team's 33 shots from the floor.Amanda Ottaway had 22 points and seven rebounds for Hollidaysburg.

MERCYHURST PREP 56Lindsay Moore 0-2 0-2 0, Kristen Sebunia 0-1 2-2 2, Kara Milhisler 2-2 0-0 4, Ellen Bach 3-3 0-0 7, Courey Schaetzle 5-9 5-8 16, Victoria Majewski 2-3 0-1 4, Amanda Debello 4-9 0-2 8, Autumn Anderson 0-0 0-1 0, Kirsten Olowinski 5-8 5-6 15, Nikki Pierce 0-0 0-2 0.

Totals: 21-37 12-24 56

BUTLER 53Lyndsy Day 2-9 0-0 4, Olivia Bresnahan 4-15 7-10 15, Karissa King 2-9 0-0 5, Katherine Sylvia 0-0 0-0 0, Erica Miller 0-2 3-4 3, Casie Cygan 4-8 0-0 9, Rachel Doutt 0-1 0-0 0, Jenna Manuel 2-6 0-0 4, Kayla Gilliland 4-8 5-5 13.

Totals: 18-58 15-19 53

Mercyhurst Prep 5 17 15 19—56Butler 6 9 12 26—533-point goals: Bach Schaetzle; King, Cygan

Monday: Butler at Knoch

AMBRIDGE 58Lexi Fontana 0-1 2-2 2, Kiki Brown 16-24 2-7 40, Faith Glover 1-2 0-0 2, Kayla Haslett 0-0 0-0 0, Courtney Parisi 3-3 3-4 9, Amber Borkowski 0-0 0-1 0, Precious McCracken 2-3 1-2 5.

Totals: 22-33 8-16 58

HOLLISDAYSBURG 54Sara Trimarco 2-4 0-0 5, Kayla Ergler 0-0 0-0 0, Dani Maloney 1-5 2-3 4, Taylor Griffith 3-10 0-0 8, Bethany Kanski 2-6 1-2 6, Amanda Foreman 0-2 0-0 0, Hannah Bourne 2-7 2-2 6, Amanda Ottaway 7-24 8-12 22, Elle Collins 1-4 0-0 3.

Totals: 18-62 13-19 54

Ambridge 12 14 17 15—58Hollidaysburg 6 11 11 26—543-point goals: Brown 6; Trimarco, Griffith 2, Kanski, Collins