Butler boys basketball’s struggles continue in loss to Fox Chapel despite 22 points from Stainton Forbes
BUTLER TWP — Opportunities lost — as in multiple.
Such was the theme of Butler’s 53-51 WPIAL Section 1-6A boys basketball loss to Fox Chapel Tuesday night on the Golden Tornado’s home floor.
Neither team ever led by double digits. There were five ties and 11 lead changes on the night. The Foxes took the lead for good on a Grant Fenton layup with four minutes remaining. The Tornado (5-8, 3-4) turned the ball over eight times in the fourth quarter, 19 times for the game.
“When you’re playing a good defensive team, you’re going to have some turnovers. That’s part of basketball,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “The unforced turnovers are the ones you can’t have and those have been killing us lately.
“Our kids played hard and bought themselves some opportunities. But you have to play smart along with playing hard. We gave it away too much tonight.”
Trailing 48-47, the Tornado turned the ball over with 1:36 remaining. Anderson Dockey sank a pair of free throws for the Foxes (8-6, 3-3) with 36 seconds let. Butler threw the ball away on an inbounds play with 19 seconds to go, and two John Rehak free throws gave Fox Chapel a 52-47 edge.
A Jayden Wilbert trey with 10.5 seconds on the clock cut the gap to two. Mavrik Clement came up with a steal and Stainton Forbes sank 1 of 2 free throws with 5.5 seconds to play. Fenton answered with 1 of 2 free throws for the Foxes.
Butler had possession with 4.1 seconds on the clock, trailing by two, but turned the ball over in the backcourt and time expired for the 53-51 setback.
“I have to play better. We all have to get better,” Butler senior Andrew Gettinger said. “Too many mistakes. As a senior leader, I definitely have to pick my game up.”
Fox Chapel had the game’s biggest lead at 39-30 midway through the third quarter. But Butler responded with treys by Forbes and Boden Lenyk, and a Mavrik Clement layup to get within 39-38. The Tornado took a 42-40 lead into the fourth.
The Foxes snapped a three-game losing streak.
“We needed this one,” Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar said. “We’ve lost a few close ones lately. We adjusted our defense in the second half. That may have helped in getting some of those turnovers.
“I figured this would be a tight game. All of the games in this section seem to be tight games.”
Six of the eight teams in Section 1-6A have either three or four section losses. The first half of section play ended Tuesday night.
“We have to fight, scratch, claw ... whatever we have to do to win some of these section games,” Coach Clement said. “That’s how close everyone is.”
Fenton led Fox Chapel with 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Rehak had 14 points and five boards. Joe McGivney contributed three steals.
Forbes paced the Tornado with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Gettinger had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.
“Gettinger is one of the best players in the section, and we focused on him,” Skrinjar said. “Forbes had a big game and really hurt us.”
But not enough. Butler, which has lost five of its last six games, stays at home Friday, hosting section foe North Allegheny.
“Win,” Gettinger said when asked about his team’s mindset entering that game. “Simple as that.”
FOX CHAPEL 53
Joe McGivney 1-5 1-2 4, Jackson Helgert 0-4 0-0 0, John Rehak 4-9 4-5 14, Anderson Dockey 2-3 2-2 7, Viktor Golalic 0-0 0-0 0, Grant Fenton 6-13 2-3 15, Carson Rihn 4-11 0-0 9, Reid Gamblin 1-1 0-0 2, Max Melocchi 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 19-47 9-12 53.
BUTLER 51
Tobias Geibel 0-2 0-0 0, Cael Hanley 1-2 0-0 3, Jaydon Wilbert 1-2 0-0 3, Jace Gratzmiller 0-1 2-2 2, Stainton Forbes 8-15 4-6 22, Mavrik Clement 2-4 0-0 4, Boden Lenyk 2-3 0-0 5, Zavyr Gregory 0-0 0-2 0, Andrew Gettinger 3-7 2-2 9, Drew Cuny 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 18-37 8-12 51.
Fox Chapel 14 17 9 13 — 53
Butler 10 16 16 9 — 51
3-point goals: Fox Chapel 6 (McGivney, Rehak 2, Dockey, Fenton, Rihn), Butler 7 (Hanley, Wilbert, Forbes 2, Lenyk, Gettinger, Cuny)
Friday: North Allegheny at Butler
