Butler boys basketball’s Andrew Gettinger takes over with highlight-reel plays to beat Pine-Richland
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Butler's Mavrik Clement (5) drives for a layup against Pine-Richland in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Ayden Andrews (1) goes up for a shot against Pine-Richland in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Ayden Andrews (1) drives the lane against Pine-Richland in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Kyle Casteel (10) drives the lane against Pine-Richland in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Andrew Gettinger (35) with a breakaway layup against Pine-Richland in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Kyle Casteel (10) looks to pass in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Tayt Lucas (12) looks to pass in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Andrew Gettinger (35) drives the lane in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's head basketball coach Matt Clement yells in plays to the team during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Tayt Lucas (12) looks for an opening in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Kyle Casteel (10) tries for two under the basket in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's cheerleaders pumping up the crowd between the third and fourth period during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler students showing their school spirit waiving white towels during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler students cheering on their team and showing their school spirit during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's cheerleaders pumping up the crowd between the third and fourth period during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Large crowd of Butler family and friends turned out to support the boys basketball team during a game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's head basketball coach Matt Clement keeping an eye on the team during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's cheerleaders cross their fingers in hopes of a foul line basket during the boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at Butler High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
BUTLER TWP — Butler boys basketball could use a few more third quarters like the one it got from Andrew Gettinger on Friday night.
The standout point guard put on a show in front of the Butler High School home crowd, scoring 13 points in a series of increasingly impressive highlights to lead the Golden Tornado to a comeback 52-42 WPIAL Section 1-6A win over Pine-Richland.
Gettinger resuscitated the Golden Tornado, who entered the second half down 18-14, in a sudden barrage that included a transition backwards reverse layup off a turnover, a heat-check 3-pointer a minute later from about 24 feet away, and finally a steal and thunderous dunk at the end of the third quarter.
“I call it flow state. You’re out there, you’re not thinking, you’re just doing,” the 6-foot-6 junior said, adding his favorite of the highlights was the dunk.
When all was said and done, Gettinger finished with 24 points, 20 of them in the second half, and proved yet again he’s critical to Butler’s hopes of making the playoffs. But his coach thinks it was critical in Gettinger’s personal growth.
“This changes the season, really this will change the rest of his high school career,” Clement said. “You finally have that moment where you get that little sequence where all that stuff happens in it, and you grow up in that moment. He’s been awesome this year, but having that moment hopefully takes him to another level.”
Gettinger first made a statement in the season-opening win against Obama when he showed off his playmaking abilities.
But with a depleted lineup — forward Stainton Forbes is out again with an undisclosed injury — Clement said it’s imperative the Tornado see Gettinger, the scorer.
“His shooting percentage numbers are off the charts,” the longtime coach said. “We’ve all been telling him, ‘You gotta shoot a little bit more. Percentages can go down a little bit, you need to take over some games and get shots when we need ‘em.’”
Gettinger’s latest big performance — he ripped down 12 rebounds, dished out three assists and recorded three blocks — came at the perfect time for Butler (9-4, 2-4), which is trying to stay in the top five in the section to make the playoffs and build some momentum going into the second half of conference play.
They have a tough one Tuesday at Fox Chapel, the section leader. Getting a second win before that game is “huge,” Clement said.
“Going into one of the tougher opponents, it’s definitely a big confidence booster,” Gettinger said.
Gettinger brought Butler back to life after a sluggish first half, but he was not alone.
Lucas Tayt scored nine points and Mavrik Clement added eight. The first of Tayt’s two 3s came in the second quarter, keeping Butler in striking distance. His second in the third quarter added to The Tornado’s run.
Kyle Casteel chipped in across the board with five points, five rebounds and four assists.
Emery Moye scored 16 points for the Rams (5-6, 3-3).
Pine-Richland 7 11 8 16 — 42
Butler 5 9 20 18 — 52
PINE-RICHLAND 42
Emery Moye 7 0-0 16, Grant Spacciapolli 4 0-0 11, Alex Kastner 2 0-0 4, Eli Catalano 1 0-0 3, Zachary Kenny 0 2-2 2, Eli Wentz 0 0-0 0, Nicholas Jones 0 0-0 0, Nathan Natali 0 0-0 0, Julian Hensel 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 3-4 42
BUTLER 52
Ayden Andrews 0 3-4 3, Jace Gratzmiller 1 0-0 3, Mavrik Clement 4 0-1 8, Kyle Casteel 1 3-4 5, Tayt Lucas 3 1-2 9, Andrew Gettinger 9 4-6 24. Totals: 18 11-17 52
3-point goals: P-R 7 (Spacciapolli 3, Moye 2, Natali, Catalano); But 5 (Lucas 2, Gettinger 2, Gratzmiller)
Tuesday: Butler at Fox Chapel, 7
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