AMBRIDGE - Once Ambridge got the lead, the Bridgers' guards stood guard of it.

Junior guard Nick Pappas and sophomore guard Slade Unis combined to sink nine free throws in the final three minutes Friday as Ambridge held off Butler, 50-45, in the first round of the Ambridge Boys Basketball Tip-Off Tournament.

Ambridge scored its final 12 points from the foul line and didn't make a field goal in the final 5:40.

"Our goal every game is to sink more free throws than the other team shoots," Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said. "The reverse was true tonight."

Ambridge sank 20 of 30 free throws - including 12-of-17 in the fourth quarter - while the Golden Tornado sank 7 of 15 all night.

"We have the utmost confidence in our foul shooting," Ambridge coach Ron Rowan said. "It's one of the strengths of our team."

So are Pappas and Unis.

Pappas led all scorers with 20 points and sank two free throws each at the 1:20, 29-second and 20-second marks with the issue still in doubt.

Unis added 12 points, five rebounds and ran the Bridgers' offense.

"He sets everything up for them," Lewandowski said. "He's a transfer from Hopewell and quite a player."

The score was tied on six occasions, the last at 34, when Butler's Jade Burka sank a free throw with 7:07 remaining.

Desmond McCoy, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, stuck back a pair of offensive rebounds to give Ambridge a 38-35 lead with 5:43 left. That's when the free throw barrage began.

Butler's last lead was 31-29 as Noah Hartung sank a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left in the third quarter. Hartung led the Tornado with 17 points.

Butler sank three treys in the final 1:54 of the first half, capping a 14-1 run that gave the visitors a 21-16 halftime lead.

Blake Anderson sank two of the 3-pointers and Hartung hit the other.

"I told the kids at halftime we had to do a better job of defending the perimeter," Rowan said. "We really responded in the second half defensively."

Ambridge took care of the basketball better in the second half as well. The Bridgers had just five turnovers in the final two quarters after having more turnovers (13) than field goal attempts (nine) in the first half.

Butler had 19 turnovers - 10 in the second half.

"We have to do a better job of getting into our sets," Lewandowski said. "That will come. Considering this was our first game with most of these guys paying varsity ball for the first time, I saw a lot of good things.

"These kids went out and competed hard for four quarters. That was the important thing. This tournament is giving us invaluable experience."

Anderson and Jerrod Markle fouled out in the fourth quarter for Butler. Burka had eight of 23 Tornado rebounds.

Unis had five of 23 boards for Ambridge.

The Bridgers play Quaker Valley - a 70-58 winner over Cornell - in the tournament title game at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Butler meets Cornell in the consolation game at 6 p.m.

"They beat us in overtime down here last year," Lewandowski said. "They are well-coached. That should be another good game."

BUTLER 45

Nate Hartung 1-2 3-6 5, Noah Hartung 6-12 2-3 17, Nick Martini 0-0 0-0 0, Jerrod Markle 3-14 0-0 7, Chris Anthony 0-0 0-0 0, Adam Monday 1-1 0-0 2, Blake Anderson 3-7 0-0 8, Sean Lowry 1-1 1-2 3, Jade Burka 1-2 1-3 3. Totals: 16-39 7-15 45

AMBRIDGE 50

Craig Besong 0-1 1-2 1, Frank Karl 0-1 0-0 0, Desmond McCoy 4-6 0-1 8, Nick Pappas 5-9 7-8 20, Jarod Gibson 0-2 0-0 0, Slade Unis 2-4 8-12 12, Chris Wint 0-0 0-0 0, Mark Rieg 1-1 0-0 3, Wes Morski 1-6 4-7 6. Totals: 13-30 20-30 50

3-point goals:

No. Hartung 3, Markle, Anderson 2; Pappas 3, Rieg

Saturday:

Butler vs. Cornell, 6 p.m, @ Ambridge