JACKSON TWP— Having not scored in nearly six minutes and clinging to a five-point lead, Butler lost its momentum.

Then Amy Achesinski snatched it back.

The Golden Tornado senior center stole a pass beyond the high post and flipped the ball ahead to Rachel Barry, who converted a three-point play at the other end with 1:28 remaining.

The play gave Butler a 36-28 lead and paved the way for a 38-30 girls basketball victory Tuesday night at Seneca Valley.

Butler (11-1, 3-0) won its ninth straight game. The Raiders (8-4, 1-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped.

"That was a huge play,"Butler coach Dorothea Epps said. "If they score there, they're within two or three points and we hadn't scored in forever."

An Achesinski layup with 7:08 remaining had given Butler a 33-23 advantage. But the Tornado suffered seven of their 19 turnovers in the fourth quarter as Seneca Valley closed the gap.

The Raiders' Kelsey Spencer sank a jumper, Kelsey Patsilevas scored on a layup following a steal and Jackie Mangola canned a free throw to cut the gap to 33-28 with 1:52 to play.

Then Butler turned the ball over again.

"We turned it over on three or four straight possessions,"Epps said. "We needed something to go our way."

Enter Achesinski.

She jumped a flare screen out high and intercepted the lob pass, then sent Barry on her way.

"Coach kept telling me that if I had a chance to jump it, jump it,"Achesinski said. "She figured that if we stole it once, they wouldn't do it again."

Seneca Valley coach Kelly Mathews admitted that play likely sealed the win for Butler.

"It's hard enough coming back from five points down the way they play defense,"Mathews said. "That sequence put us down eight and we were up against it.

"(Achesinski) is a big-time player, and big-time players make big-time plays," she added.

Butler led the entire way, jumping out to an 18-5 lead in the first six minutes. Achesinski scored 13 of her game-high 23 points during that stretch.

The Tornado sank their first six shots of the game, four of them layups. Seneca Valley never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

"Butler came out on fire against our zone,"Mathews said. "We were shell-shocked, the way this game started. They scored five points before we even touched the ball. We fought back, but trying to overcome a deficit like that against a quality opponent is tough."

The Raiders sank only 10 of 38 shots from the floor. Spencer scored 10 points for Seneca Valley. Amanda Johnson had seven rebounds and Mangola had six.

Olivia Bresnahan had six of 24 Butler rebounds and Achesinski added five boards.

"We got off to such a big start and scored points so quickly that we went into a lull," Epps said. "You always preach to the players to maintain intensity, to keep going hard."

BUTLER 38Rachel Barry 1-5 4-5 6, Karissa King 0-3 0-0 0, Olivia Bresnahan 0-2 0-0 0, Liz Schultz 1-1 0-0 2, Amy Achesinski 8-10 7-8 23, Maria Baroffio 3-8 0-0 7, Erica Miller 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 13-29 11-13 38

SENECA VALLEY 30Aly Eagle 1-8 4-4 6, Kelsey Spencer 4-10 2-2 10, Kelsey Patsilevas 1-5 0-0 2, Amanda Johnson 1-4 3-4 5, Jackie Mangola 1-8 1-3 3, Catherine Messmer 2-3 0-0 4.

Totals: 10-38 10-13 30

Butler 18 6 7 7—38Seneca Valley 7 10 6 7—303-point goal: Baroffio

JV: Butler, 32-20 (B-Kayla Gilliland 9, Erica Miller 8, Rachel Doutt 8; SV-Catherine Messmer 6)

Thursday: Pine-Richland atButler; Seneca Valley at North Hills

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