Butler girls basketball ends years-long losing streak against North Allegheny on senior night
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Butler's Sydney Patterson (15) with a pass in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) from the foul line in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Maddie Williams (1) brings the ball in, in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) from the foul line in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Maddie Williams (1) rushes the lane in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Jordan Hillips (23), Maddie Williams (1) and Laney Marshall (22) applaud their team in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) charges the lane against North Allegheny's Maddie Williams (1) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Sydney Patterson (15) charges down the court in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Malina McElroy (1) takes the ball down court in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Sydney Patterson (15) fights to pass North Allegheny's Vange Balouris (12) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Eva Stutz (10) tries for two against North Allegehny's Rae Shanahan (44) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Avery Maier (31) hits for three as she is defended by North Allegheny's Cate Pingpank (24) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) faces off against North Allegheny's Rosalia Varlotta (11) during the tip-off in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler head coach Mark Maier shows his frustration from the sidelines during a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler head coach Mark Maier yells plays from the sideline during a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Avery Maier (31) looks for an opening in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Cameryn Booher (4) makes a pass in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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North Allegheny's Vange Balouris (12) looks to pass as she is defended by Butler's Maddie Williams (1) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) fights for the rebound against North Allegheny's Leah Skweres (2) and Vange Balouris (12) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) hits for three as she is defended by North Allegheny's Maddie Williams (1) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Amelia McMichael (32) goes for two as she is defended by North Allegheny's Vange Balouris (12) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at Butler High School. Butler won 50-41. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
BUTLER TWP — Seniors shining on the night they are recognized. It does not always work out that way, but that is how things unfolded Thursday in Butler High’s gym.
The Golden Tornado’s five seniors — Cameryn Booher, Sydney Patterson, Avery Maier, Amelia McMichael and Casey Clouse — combined to score all but two points in the team’s 50-41 girls basketball victory over North Allegheny.
“That’s awesome,” Butler coach Mark Maier said. “What a great night. We lost (52-30) down at NA three weeks ago, and this shows how much we’ve improved.”
Pacing the effort for Butler (11-9, 6-4 WPIAL Class 1-6A) was Amelia McMichael, who tallied a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds.
“This win adds to our confidence, and that’s big for us with the playoffs coming up,” McMichael said. “Plus, we’d never beaten NA since I’ve been playing.”
The losing streak to the Tigers the Tornado broke goes back further than that.
“My first season coaching was 2017-18, and we were 0-15 against them before tonight,” Maier said. “They embarrassed us at their place last month, we turned the ball over 32 times.”
After a shaky start Thursday — the Tigers (9-11, 5-5) opened the game with an 8-0 run — the Tornado set about avenging that earlier defeat. They scored 47 of the next 68 points and held a commanding 47-29 lead entering the final period.
“I thought we played very well on defense in the first three quarters,” Maier said. “Got a little leaky there in the fourth, but it’s tough protecting a 20-point lead with no shot clock.”
Patterson helped spark Butler’s onslaught, scoring all nine of her points in the first half. She added a team-high six assists and six steals.
Leading 31-23 at the break, Clouse, Avery Maier and Booher (2) combined for four 3-pointers as Butler’s lead swelled to 45-25 with 2:44 left in the third.
“We got into foul trouble early tonight, and that hurt us,” NA coach Gabriella Baldasare said. “But give credit to Butler. They shot the heck out of the ball tonight, and usually that’s what we do.”
Butler’s win, combined with Seneca Valley’s victory against Pine-Richland, hands second place in Section 1-6A to the Tornado.
“We finish tied with Pine, but we swept them,” Maier said. “I’m thinking we can’t end up any worse than a sixth seed in the playoffs.”
Patterson has been a member of Butler’s varsity for three years. With her high school career nearing its end, she reflected on her time with the program.
“It’s been amazing,” she said. “It’s so much like a family here. Everyone lifts each other up.”
The Tornado close the regular season at home Monday against Shady Side Academy.
Butler’s junior varsity team also won, moving to 16-2 on the season and preserving its unbeaten record in section play.
NORTH ALLEGHENY 41
Maddie Williams 1 2-3 5, Leah Skweres 4 2-5 10, Natalie Kinross 3 0-0 9, Rosalia Varlotta 5 0-0 10, Vange Balouris 2 0-2 5, Rae Shanahan 1 0-1 2, Cate Pingpank 0 0-2 0. Totals: 16 4-13 41.
BUTLER 50
Cameryn Booher 2 1-2 7, Sydney Patterson 3 3-3 9, Ashton Huff 1 0-0 2, Avery Maier 1 0-0 3, Amelia McMichael 9 5-6 26, Casey Clouse 1 0-2 3, Malina McElroy 0 0-0 0, Eva Stutz 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 9-13 50.
North Allegheny 15 8 6 12 — 41
Butler 13 18 16 3 — 50
3-point goals: North Allegheny 5 (Kinross 3, Williams, Balouris); Butler 7 (McMichael 3, Booher 2, Maier, Clouse).
Monday: Shady Side Academy at Butler
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