BUTLER TWP— Saturday marked a 'feel good' game for Butler's girls basketball team.

There certainly wasn't anything in the Golden Tornado's 72-31 triumph over Uniontown to feel badly about. Consider this:

• The 72 points scored by Butler marked the most Uniontown has allowed this season. The Raiders surrender an average of 49 points per game.

• The 31 points allowed by Butler marked the fewest Uniontown — averaging 48 per game — has scored in a contest this year.

• All 12 players Butler suited up for the varsity game scored at least one point and collected at least one rebound.

• The Tornado forced 35 turnovers while committing only 13 themselves.

• Butler sank 21 of 28 free throws and took twice as many foul shots as its opponent.

• Butler had a 27-18 edge in rebounds, allowing just six Uniontown rebounds in the second half despite taking a 32-point lead into halftime.

"I was pleased with the way we played today,"Butler coach Dorothea Epps said. "We never lost focus for four quarters.

"After the New Castle game (46-26 loss) ... We played kind of the same way against Hampton. We were looking for momentum today to take into the second half of the section season. There was an urgency about this game and the girls played like it."

Butler (14-3) exploded out to a 24-4 lead in the first quarter, wasting no time in deflating its guests. Uniontown had 14 turnovers in the first period and was able to attempt just four shots from the floor.

Amy Achesinski and Olivia Bresnahan — Butler's scoring leaders Saturday with 18 and 13 points, respectively — scored three buckets each during the first-quarter onslaught.

"Our half-court pressure was effective today,"Epps said. "Our defense took away passing lanes and disrupted their offense. That's what we look to do against everybody."

The loss was the fifth straight for Uniontown (6-9), coming off a 16-8 season that included the program's first-ever WPIALplayoff victory.

Two of the three would-be returning starters for the Raiders — Annie Hodge and Kenzi McCune — are out for the season with torn ACLs.

"We've had to deal with some adversity this year. But we're not giving up,"Uniontown coach Jason Winfrey said. "Turnovers and poor shooting percentage have been our biggest problems."

Lauren Davis, the Raiders' other returning starter, leads the team with 14 points per game. She scored only three Saturday and did not sink a field goal. Cherese Hodge, averaging 12 per game, did not score at all.

Sherika Brown scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Uniontown. The 41-point margin at the end marked Butler's biggest lead of the day.

"No way did we expect to lose like this,"Winfrey said. "Still, this was a win-win situation for us coming in here. Either we pull out a big win or we learn a lot about ourselves. We know what we need to fix."

And Butler knows it has to keep playing at the level it did on this day.

"We were making the extra pass in the paint, executing well in transition and you could see the difference,"Epps said. "There weren't too many opportunities wasted out there."

Butler sank 25 of 45 field goal attempts, including 15 of 20 in the first half.

The Tornado host North Hills tonight.

"Back in section play ... We can't take anything for granted,"Epps cautioned.

UNIONTOWN 31Chelsi Festa 0-1 0-0 0, Lauren Davis 0-3 3-4 3, Lexi Kezmarsky 1-2 0-0 3, Paige Festa 0-0 3-4 3, Kayley Sleighter 1-4 0-0 2, Sherika Brown 5-9 0-2 10, Dara Reeves 0-1 0-0 0, Mallory Sanner 2-6 2-4 8, Melissa Mack 0-1 0-0 0, Jen Tandarich 1-1 0-0 2, Cherese Hodge 0-1 0-0 0.

Totals: 10-29 8-14 31

BUTLER 72Rachel Barry 2-7 5-6 9, Karissa King 0-0 2-2 2, Olivia Bresnahan 6-11 1-2 13, Becky Smith 3-3 0-0 6, Liz Schultz 0-2 1-2 1, Katherine Sylvia 3-4 0-0 6, Amy Achesinski 6-8 6-6 18, Maria Baroffio 2-3 3-4 8, Erica Miller 0-2 1-2 1, Rachel Doutt 0-1 1-2 1, Jenna Manuel 3-4 0-0 6, Ashley Onufrak 0-0 1-2 1.

Totals: 25-45 21-28 72

Uniontown 4 8 12 7—31Butler 24 20 11 17—723-point goals: Kezmarsky, Sanner 2; Baroffio

JV: Butler, 56-24 (B-Rachel Doutt 20, Becky Smith 19, Jenna Manuel 10, U-Kayley Sleighter 15)

Today: North Hills @ Butler