Butler's Devin Carney takes a shot against Hempfield's Chaz Ewer during the Golden Tornado's 81-77 boys basketball victory Thursday night. Carney scored 35 points in the win.

BUTLER TWP — Butler had enough reasons to be happy on Thursday night.

The Golden Tornado (4-2) netted a dozen three-pointers, Devin Carney posted 35 points, and three other scorers finished with double digits in a home matchup with Hempfield. Not to mention, they won, 81-77, in boys basketball action.

With a matchup with currently undefeated and section-leading North Allegheny not far out, the team wants to be ready, though.

“We're glad we got the win, just things could have been better,” the senior guard Carney said.

The Spartans (2-4) put up an impressive fight, starting with 6-foot-5 senior forward Sean Gordon. His four treys in the first frame alone aided in opening up as much as a nine-point edge on the hosts.

“We really wanted to get open shots,” Hempfield coach Bill Swan said. “Butler's one of the better teams, we came on their floor and we certainly threw punches with them the whole night.”

Madden Clement, who hit three treys in the opening 1:11 of the second quarter, complemented Carney's 20-point first half and helped get Butler's wheels turning.

Butler owned the advantage for all of the last 16 minutes, even though Hempfield hung around and clawed back within two points on five different occasions.

“Give them a lot of credit,” Golden Tornado coach Matt Clement said. “That's a long drive from Hempfield and to come in, in a different gym and shoot as well as they did, I don't want to discredit them.

“But, in the grand scheme of things, that's not good enough for us to win what we're trying to win, to win the section games.”

Carney added four assits, seven rebounds, and a pair of steals.

“The scoring stuff we're used to with Devin, but seeing that stuff at a high clip, to me, won the game more than the points he scored at the end,” Clement said. “Those other added extras that he's started to bring into his game this year really showed tonight.”

Madden Clement (18 points), Braylon Littlejohn (14 points), and Raine Gratzmiller (12) chipped in offensively in the win.

HEMPFIELD 77

Sean Gordon 12 3-4 34, Harrison Sowers 6 0-0 17, Daniel Sierk 3 2-3 8, Joe Fiedor 2 2-4 6, Chaz Ewer 3 2-3 8, Dom Hipps 2 0-0 4, Brandon Learn 2 0-0 4. Totals: 29 7-11 77.

BUTLER 81

Devin Carney 12 7-7 35, Madden Clement 6 2-3 18, Braylon Littlejohn 5 2-3 14, Raine Gratzmiller 3 4-6 12, Charlie Kreinbucher 1 0-0 2, Colin Patterson 0 0-1 0. Totals: 27 15-20 81.

Hempfield 22 11 18 26 — 77

Butler 15 25 12 29 — 81

3-point goals: Hempfield 12 (Gordon 7, Sowers 5); Butler 12 (Carney 4, Clement 4, Gratzmiller 2, Littlejohn 2)

Monday: Butler vs.Bishop Canevin, 4:30 p.m., at North Allegheny