BUTLER TWP — Yes, Pine-Richland has been a nemesis to Butler's boys basketball team.

But the Golden Tornado have a lot of company in that regard.

“Who haven't they been a nemesis to? It's been pretty much everybody,” Butler coach Matt Clement said on the eve of his team's WPIAL Class 6A semifinal clash with the Rams at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Chapel High School.

This will be the ninth meeting between these teams in three years. Pine-Richland has won seven of the previous eight, including the 2017 WPIAL championship game, a PIAA tournament game that year and both meetings this season.

“We respect them a lot and I know everyone figures we're going to lose to them, but we've got our game-plan in place and we'll go down there ready to play the game,” Clement said.

“I believe they respect us, too, but I have had an inexperienced team on the floor this year with the exception of Ethan (Morton) and Luke (Patten). Their seniors are so seasoned and with their playoff runs of the past couple of years, they've probably played 15 more games than any other team.”

The Rams (21-2) have a starting lineup of seniors Dan Petcash, Greg Shulkosky and Colin Luellen, juniors Patrick Shanahan and Kyle Polce. Petcash and Shanahan are 6-foot-4 while Luellen is 6-3.

Pine-Richland defeated Butler 79-74 and 95-76 during the regular season. Petcash scored 28 and 29 points, respectively, in those games while Shulkosky netted 17 and 21 points, along with 16 total assists.

Butler's Morton scored 51 points in the 79-74 loss at P-R, then 20 in the loss to the Rams at home. He tallied 21 assists in those games.

“He's just an incredible talent,” P-R coach Jeff Ackermann said of Morton. “He's going to get his no matter how we defend him. I've seen him make left-handed passes all the way across the court.

“The strength he has in both arms is amazing and he sees the floor so well. I know we can't put him on the foul line. That's just handing them two points.”

And Morton, who has scored 1,556 points in his career, is not alone.

“They've got so many good shooters and Ethan finds them,” Ackermann said. “He sets them up and they hit the shots.

“It's amazing how many points that team can score. The fact they bring back all but one guy next year blows my mind.”

Inside player Isaiah Scribner, the Tornado's lone senior starter. joins Patten, Mattix Clement and Devin Carney in Butler's starting lineup. Patten, Clement, Carney and Morton — along with Mason Montag and Colby Anderson off the bench — are all adept at hitting the trey.

“It doesn't matter how much we score if we don't defend better against them than we have been,” Clement said. “Our defense doesn't have to be lights out, but it has to be more effective.”

Pine-Richland rallied from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to nip Peters Township, 66-64, in the quarterfinals.

“We were rusty. We hadn't played in two weeks,” Ackermann said. “We didn't shoot well until the fourth quarter.

“Play one good quarter, you usually lose by 20. We played one good quarter and won by two. We overcame a lot of adversity that night.”

Butler edged Upper St. Clair, 75-70, in the quarterfinals. The Tornado have won 12 of their past 14 games, both losses coming to Pine-Richland, which carries a 20-game winning streak into Wednesday night.

“We beat a team that beat Pine, Allderdice and Mt. Lebanon this season,” Clement said. “Now we have to play a team that's won 20 straight and this is only the semifinals. It's crazy.”

Fox Chapel's gym will sound even crazier come game time.

“I wish we were playing in a bigger venue,” Clement admitted. “We could probably sell out that gym with just people from Butler.

“But I can't worry about that. I'm too busy worrying about how to beat Pine-Richland.”