Drama Free
BUTLER TWP — No drama this time.
Butler opened the second half with an 11-2 run, then added an 11-0 run later in the third quarter to run away from North Hills, 87-60, in a Section 1-6A boys basketball game Wednesday night in the Golden Tornado gym.
The first two games between these teams this season were decided by a combined five points.
Butler (8-7, 3-6) led only 38-32 at halftime as the lead changed hands seven times in the first 16 minutes.
“It's easy to forget this was a six-point game at the half,” Butler coach Matt Clement said.
The Indians (4-9, 2-7) turned the ball over seven times in the third quarter, 10 times in the second half. Butler had seven turnovers the entire night.The Tornado's Devin Carney dunked the ball twice with 30 seconds in the third quarter, both times in transition off turnovers near midcourt.Carney struck for 41 points, hitting 12 of his last 13 shots. It was his second 40-point performance in a week, also netting 41 at North Allegheny.“Our defense definitely triggered us (in the second half),” Carney said. “We started scoring in transition and gained a lot of momentum.”The Tornado won their third straight game. North Hills began the game with two starters out with injuries. The Indians lost point guard Matt Seidl for the night when he injured an ankle in the game's first minute.“We were undermanned tonight, but we stayed with them for a half anyway,” North Hills coach Buzz Gabos said. “So why couldn't we stay with them for a full game?“We got sloppy with the ball in that third quarter. Losing our point guard early didn't help any. Turnovers killed us.”Carney did a number on the Indians as well.North Hills opted to guard him tight and Carney repeatedly drove to the basket.“If they had played off me, I'd have stepped back and taken the jumper,” Carney said. “If they're gonna come up on me, I'm going to drive past them.”And if the defense collapsed on Carney as he headed to the bucket, he dished it out to open 3-point shooters.“And we don't; have one (3-point shooter). We have several. That's what makes him so tough to defend,” Clement said. “Devin has worked hard at studying film and reading plays. He's gotten much better at that part of his game.“When he gets rolling like he did tonight, he's almost impossible to stop.”Gabos had no argument there.“It doesn't matter how we would have tried defending him,” the North Hills coach said. “He's the best pure scorer anywhere around here. Carney has so many moves ... there's not another player like him in the WPIAL this year.”Carney was taken out of the game midway through the fourth quarter. Butler's lead peaked at 87-56 on a Logan Koegler layup with 1:38 to play.Carney had three assists to go with his 41points. Mattix Clement had 19 points and three assists, Colin Paterson and Charlie Kreinbucher five rebounds each.Alex Smith led North Hills with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Royce Parham had 12 points and seven rebounds, Will Blass 11 points and five assists, Anthony McCall 11 points and three assists.“We tried denying their big man (Parham) tonight because he hurt us the first two times we played them,” Clement said. “And their pressure didn't get us tonight.“We passed the ball quickly, moved it quickly. This was a good team win.”Butler hosts Pine-Richland Saturday afternoon in the Tornado's final home game of the season.<b>NORTH HILLS 60</b>Malachi Armstead 0-2 1-2 1, Alex Smith 7-16 2-2 17, Will Blass 4-7 0-1 11, Anthony McCall 4-11 0-0 11, Matt Seidl 1-1 0-0 2, Nate Belack 1-2 0-2 2, Logan Johnson 2-6 0-0 4, Royce Parham 5-7 2-2 12. Totals: 24-52 5-9 60.<b>BUTLER 87</b>Raine Gratzmiller 0-1 0-0 0, Mac Schnur 0-0 0-0 0, Devin Carney 17-24 5-5 41, Logan Koegler 1-1 0-1 2, Mattix Clement 7-16 2-2 19, Jordan Stutz 0-0 0-0 0, Colin Patterson 2-2 0-0 4, CJ Singleton 2-2 0-0 4, Charlie Kreinbucher 0-0 2-2 2, Madden Clement 2-5 0-0 6, David Leslie 3-4 0-0 7, Kaleb Proudfoot 1-1 0-0 2, Brayden Koegler 0-1 0-0 0, Clayton Holt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 35-58 9-11 87.North Hills 16 16 13 15 — 60Butler16 22 27 22 — 873-point goals: Smith, Blass 3, McCall 3; Carney 2, Mat.Clement 3, Mad.Clement 2, LeslieJV: No gameSaturday: Pine-Richland at Butler
