PINE TWP — Butler survived an early 11-0 run. It could not survive Pine-Richland’s free throw shooting down the stretch.

Nor its own mistakes.

The Golden Tornado closed the Section 1-6A regular season Friday night with a 76-72 loss at Pine-Richland. The Rams (6-15, 2-8) snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.

“This means no disrespect toward them, but this is is a game we have to win,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “If the situations were reversed, they would say the same thing.”

The Rams entered the game averaging 53.3 points per contest. Neither team ever had a double-digit lead and the score was tied on seven occasions. The lead changed hands 15 times, the last on a pair of Andrew Lamendola free throws with 38.3 seconds remaining. Those shots gave Pine-Richland a 72-71 lead.

Butler (14-7, 5-5) then turned the ball over and was forced to foul. Lamendola sank two more free throws with 12.8 seconds to play, Braylon Littlejohn sank one of two at the line for the Tornado with 9.6 seconds on the clock.

The Rams finally iced the game with two Emery Moye free throws with 7.4 seconds left, accounting for the 76-72 final score.

“Those were all big-time free throws,” Rams coach Robert Petcash said. “We hit one-and-ones under pressure. Our kids came out ready to go tonight. They knew this was our last game of the season and our last game in this gym.”

Pine-Richland did not qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. The school is getting a new gymnasium put in over the summer.

“We really sold that fact on our kids before the game,” Petcash said. “We wanted the last game played in this gym to be a win and it’s a great way to close the books on what’s been a disappointing season for us.”

Clement said the biggest reason Pine-Richland was motivated was the name on the front of its opponents’ jerseys.

“This is a tremendous rivalry,” the Butler coach said. “They want to beat us. We want to beat them.

“They beat us off the dribble tonight. That just can’t happen. If you’re gonna get beat off the dribble like we did tonight, you’re not going to win in the playoffs. They just took it to us.”

After Butler took a 2-0 lead, Pine-Richland responded with an 11-0 run. The Tornado closed the gasp to three (15-12) by the end of the first quarter, but sank only three of 14 shots in the first eight minutes.

Butler did not regain the lead until a Donovan Carney layup gave the Tornado a 39-37 edge with 5:45 left in the third period. The scoreboard went back-and -forth from there.

“Everyone on our team made some offensive mistakes at some point tonight, but we were still in a position to win the game late,” Clement said. “They hit their free throws and we had a rare off-night at the line.”

Butler’s last lead was at 71-70 with 48.2 seconds left, courtesy of two Carney free throws. The Tornado’s biggest lead of the night was four points.

Littlejohn tallied 22 points, six rebounds and three assists for Butler. Carney had 21 points and four assists, Colin Casteel 12 points and four rebounds, Ryan Porch six assists.

Moye had 21 points for Pine-Richland. Lamendola scored 20 points and had four assists, Josh Gimbel tallied 17 points and seven rebounds, Owen Luellen 12 points, 11 boards and five assists.

Luellen did not play when the Rams dropped an 86-73 decision at Butler in January.

“Owen missed half of our section games with injury,” Petcash said. “He’s a difference-maker for us.”

Butler will close the regular season Monday night at Gateway, trying to snap a two-game skid before the playoffs.

“It doesn’t matter how many losses you take into the playoffs,” Clement said. “We just have to reboot and get after it.”

BUTLER 72

Brayon Littlejohn 6-17 9-15 22, Donovan Carney 7-17 2-2 21, Ryan McLister 0-3 0-0 0, Ayden Davis 1-2 1-1 3, Ryan Porch 2-8 0-0 6, Coleton Welter 2-3 0-0 6, Lance S;ater 0-1 0-0 0, Colin Casteel 4-8 1-1 12, James Desmond 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 23-54 13-19 72.

PINE-RICHLAND 76

Emery Moye 8-12 4-4 21, Owen Luellen 3-7 6-10 12,. Andrew Lamendola 7-9 6-7 20, Vasili Balouris 1-2 0-0 2, Eli Wentz 0-2 0-0 0, Josh Gimbel 5-11 4-4 17, Carson Baer 1-2 2-2 4, Zach Kenny 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 25-47 22-27 76.

Butler 12 19 19 22 — 72

Pine-Richland 15 18 18 25 — 76

3-point goals: Butler 13 (Littlejohn, Carney 5, Porch 2, Welter 2, Casteel 3), Pine-Richland 4 (Moye, Gimbel 3)

JV: Pine-Richland, 66-62 (B: Tayt Lucas 21, Stainton Forbes 11, Ayden Andrew 11), P-R: Eli Wentz 18, Doolin Stober 15, Grant Spacciapolli 14)

Monday: Butler at Gateway