BUTLER TWP — The over-under was higher for the national championship college football game Wednesday night than for the Butler-Seneca Valley girls basketball game Thursday night.

In a rough-and-tumble section where defense is queen, the Golden Tornado wore the crown with a 47-37 shutdown of the Raiders.

"The girls knew we had to hold serve on our own court," said Butler coach Dorothea Epps. "They were ready to play tonight.

Coming into the game, Butler (10-2, 3-0) had surrendered a mere 40 points per game. Seneca Valley (10-3, 4-1) was holding foes to just a shade over 39 per contest. So both coaches had an inkling that this one was going to be bare-knuckle basketball at its best.

"It usually is," said Seneca Valley coach Todd Schoeffel. "We like 'em low and ugly. It was kind of our type of game."

With the one exception being the second quarter, when Butler erupted for 18 points — a total usually reserved for halftime for the Raiders this season.

Butler's deadly accurate jump shooting helped to make it happen.

Lyndsy Day hit two pull-up jumpers and Julie Ehrman hit a 3-pointer at the end of the half that was so far beyond the arc that it might as well have been launched from Lyndora to give the Tornado a 29-18 lead.

Butler was 6-of-12 shooting in the second quarter after hitting just three of its 12 shots in the first eight minutes.

"In the second quarter, we let some shooters get loose," Schoeffel said. "We got lazy and dug ourselves a hole."

The Raiders spent the second half feverishly trying to dig itself out of the avalanche.

They almost did.

With increased defensive pressure, the Raiders chopped away at a lead that got as big as 13 in the third quarter, cutting the Butler advantage to three early in the fourth period.

"We knew when we were up by 13, they were coming back," Epps said. "We just had to weather the storm and be in it at the end and win it at the end."

Butler's Samantha Karns did her best to make sure that happened.

The senior forward was a rebounding vacuum in the second half, pulling down seven boards in the final 16 minutes, including five in the fourth quarter alone.

She also seemingly corralled every loose ball and frustrated every Seneca Valley shooter.

"Oh my gosh, you know what? She was everywhere," Epps said. "The thing with Sam that is the best is she doesn't care if she scores. She's just out there to win."

The Tornado are tied with New Castle for the section lead.

Chelsey Pavlick led the Raiders with 13 points. Amy Achesinski, hounded by the Raiders' Ashley Turici all night as the subject of a box-and-one defense, scored 11 for the Tornado. Karns added eight points.

"This win only lasts for the night," Epps said. "I think the girls know that by now."

Schoeffel, though, wants his team to carry their first section loss around with them much longer.

"We learned some things tonight," Schoeffel said. "There are some things we can do and some things we need to work on. I told them to let it burn in your gut and don't let it happen again."

SENECA VALLEY 37

Courtney Grootegood 0-1 0-0 0, Kelsey Spencer 3-7 0-0 8, Chelsey Pavlick 5-9 3-5 13, Ryan Ingrassia 0-0 0-0 0, Tina Mangola 2-9 1-2 7, Amanda Johnson 1-1 3-6 5, Ashley Turici 2-8 0-2 4, Jackie Mangola 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 13-35 7-15 37

BUTLER 47

Abby Herrit 1-1 0-0 3, Rachel Berry 0-3 0-0 0, Lyndsy Day 2-5 4-4 8, Elizabeth Schultz 0-1 0-0 0, Ashley Nocera 1-4 0-0 2, Kelley Crater 0-1 0-0 0, Amy Achesinski 3-9 5-7 11, Julie Ehrman 2-3 0-0 6, Samantha Karns 3-6 2-3 8, Michele Ritchey 0-0 0-0 0, Maria Baraffio 2-7 2-4 7. Totals: 14-40 13-18 47

3-point goals:

Spencer 2, Tina Mangola 2, Herrit, Ehrman 2, Baraffio

JV:

Butler 39-33

Monday:

Butler at North Hills; Seneca Valley at New Castle