Butler boys basketball goes cold as unbeaten New Castle heats up from 3-point range in section win
BUTLER TWP — The temperatures outside brought an icy chill Friday night.
The spots outside the arc on New Castle’s heat map didn’t bear resemblance.
The visiting Red Hurricanes poured in 10 3-pointers — nine of them in the first half — while downing Butler 60-33 in a WPIAL Section 1-6A boys hoops clash.
The Golden Tornado (6-10, 4-6) never led.
New Castle (16-0, 10-0) knocked down nine of its 21 tries from deep before halftime, combining that threat with a suffocating effort on the other end to pile up a 22-point lead at the midway point.
“It’s disappointing because I felt like we gave them 3s,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “When I look at the 9 for 21, six of those, if we just cover our defensive assignment, (are) either a contested 3 that has 50% chance less of going in or they don’t even shoot it, because they take good shots.
“They should be 9 for 21 the way we let them shoot.”
Golden Tornado senior and Edinboro commit Andrew Gettinger, who finished with a game-high 18 points, wasn’t pleased with the performance, either.
“It hurts, especially after we go over it all day in practice and just let it up,” Gettinger said.
The Red Hurricanes’ lead swelled to as much as 27 with 1:27 left in the third frame. Gettinger managed an and-one tip-in off an inbound pass to stave away the mercy clock. He also scored on his side’s first three possessions of the final quarter on the way to 10 points in the frame.
“I thought at least in the late third (quarter), early fourth, we were respectable,” Clement said. “That’s not good enough. Being respectable and being down 20 is not good enough. It showed a lot of our weaknesses against a team that’s good. Missed assignments, missed a lot of assignments in the first quarter.
“To beat them, you have to play a full game. ... If you don’t play a full game and you hand them stuff, like you miss covering a guy on a 3-point shot, you go underneath a screen and let them shoot a 3, a dumb turnover, you miss a layup, you don’t get it to your guy on time when he’s open, then it’s gonna compound real quick.”
New Castle freshman Marino Graham and seniors Damian Graham and Chase Lemmon all finished with three 3-pointers. Lemmon is committed to play wide receiver for Slippery Rock University.
Butler still controls its own postseason destiny, Clement said. The Tornado entered Friday in a four-way tie in the section at 4-5 with Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills and Pine-Richland, while New Castle and North Hills sat in first and second, respectively. In the eight-team section, five teams make the WPIAL tournament.
Time is running out for the Golden Tornado to find their stride and earn a seat at the table, though.
“Bounce back,” Gettinger said. “After a loss, you just always gotta look to the next one and get your mind right and hopefully win the next one.”
NEW CASTLE 60
Marino Graham 7 0-0 17, Damian Harrison 5 0-0 13, Kelarie Stewart 3 0-0 9, Kai Cox 3 2-3 8, No. 11 2 0-0 4, Deshawn Gordon 1 0-0 3, Jayden Shaffer 1 0-0 2, Jermaine Walker 1 0-0 2, Qualin Davis 1 0-1 2, Maurice Perkins 0 0-0, Travis Whetzel 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24 2-4 60.
BUTLER 33
Andrew Gettinger 7 1-1 18, Stainton Forbes 2 2-2 7, Tobias Geibel 1 0-0 3, Jace Gratzmiller 1 0-0 2, Boden Lenyk 1 0-0, Jaydon Wilbert 0 1-2 1, Mavrik Clement 0 0-0 0, Cael Hanley 0 0-0 0, Zavyr Gregory 0 0-0 0, Edan Singer 0 0-0 0, Max Byers 0 0-0 0, Landon Slear 0 0-0, Drew Cuny 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 4-5 33.
New Castle 18 19 10 13 — 60
Butler 8 7 8 10 — 33
3-point goals: New Castle 10 (Graham 3, Harrison 3, Lemmon 3, Gordon); Butler 5 (Gettinger 3, Forbes, Geibel)
Tuesday: Butler at Woodland Hills
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jace Gratzmiller (3) shoots the ball in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jace Gratzmiller (3) shoots a 3-pointer in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) dribbles the ball in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jace Gratzmiller (3) passes the ball in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Andrew Gettinger (35) dribbles the ball in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Andrew Gettinger (35) shoots over New Castle’s defense in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Boden Lenyk (13) dribbles past New Castle’s defense in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) takes it to the rim in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) takes it to the rim in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Andrew Gettinger (35) shoots over New Castle’s defense in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 60-33 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
