Butler boys basketball’s final run falls short vs New Castle in WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals
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Butler’s Ayden Andrews (1) tries to take possession of a loose ball from a New Castle player in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) dunks the ball against New Castle in the second half of a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Tayt Lucas (12) drives the ball around New Castle’s Jayden Shaffer (32) in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Tayt Lucas (12) drives the ball around New Castle’s Jayden Shaffer (32) in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) dunks the ball against New Castle in the second half of a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Ayden Andrews (1) tries to take possession of a loose ball from a New Castle player in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler fell to New Castle 64-43 in a WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at New Castle High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
NEW CASTLE — Butler survived the first run. The second one did them in.
The Golden Tornado fell behind 18-3 early in the second quarter of their WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal boys basketball game at New Castle, victimized by a 15-0 Red Hurricane run.
The visitors pulled within 36-32 with 5:12 left in the third quarter, only to watch New Castle go on an 11-0 run en route to a 64-43 victory. The win was the eighth straight for the second-seeded ’Canes (20-3). They will face No. 6 Mt. Lebanon in Monday’s semifinal at a site and time to be determined.
“They are so hard to beat at home,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “They’re comfortable in the atmosphere here, and getting to play a quarterfinal game at home is a big thing. But you get that when you earn the seed they did.”
After trailing 18-3, the No. 7 Tornado (16-7) battled back in the first half. An Andrew Gettinger jumper pulled Butler within 23-16 with two minutes left before intermission. New Castle went into halftime with a 29-19 edge.
“We had a couple of possessions in the final minute, trailing by that 29-19 score, and missed a couple of open 3s,” Clement said. “I really think that missed opportunity was a big part of this game. We had a chance to get in down to five or six.”
A Gettinger trey, followed by two Stainton Forbes 3-pointers, got the Tornado within 36-32.
But New Castle never blinked.
“I thought we came out and guarded the 3-point line pretty well,” New Castle coach Ralph Blundo said. “But that team can shoot ’em. They hit those three treys early in the third, and it was a ballgame.
“But we responded well.”
Ralphie Blundo, Kyrell Harris and Chase Lemmon all drained treys during the ’Canes’ subsequent 11-0 run. This time, the Tornado didn’t have an answer.
Another Blundo trey upped the New Castle lead to 56-36 with 5:53 to play, and the hosts cruised to victory from there.
The Hurricanes held a 32-16 rebounding advantage on the night.
“The last time we were out-rebounded like that was the last time we played here,” Clement said.
Freshman Kai Cox paced New Castle with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Damian Harrison had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Kyrell Harris 14 points and three assists, and Blundo 13 points and four rebounds.
New Castle was unaffected by its nearly two-week layoff.
“I checked back on the last eight games or so that we played after a long layoff like this, and we didn’t play well in any of them,” Coach Blundo said. “This time, we did. Butler has been playing great basketball, and to hold them to 43 points, you have to be playing well.”
Gettinger led Butler with 13 points and four assists. Forbes contributed 13 points and three rebounds, while Tayt Lucas sank three treys.
The Tornado closed the season with seven wins in their last nine games, both losses coming at New Castle.
“There are no consolation prizes, and we didn’t get the outcome we wanted tonight,” Clement admitted. “But this team was 1-5 in section at one point, and look how far we came. Of all the Butler teams I’ve coached, this one probably improved the most from start to finish.
“All 22 kids bought into what we as a coaching staff wanted them to do. It was a lot of fun coaching these guys.”
BUTLER 43
Ayden Andrews 2-6 3-3 8, Stainton Forbes 4-7 2-3 13, Mavrik Clement 0-1 0-0 0, Kyle Casteel 0-1 0-0 0, Tayt Lucas 3-10 0-0 9, Andrew Gettinger 5-15 2-5 13, Alex Kastner 0-1 0-0 0, Emery Moye 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 14-42 7-1 43.
NEW CASTLE 64
Damian Harrison 5-6 2-4 14, Kyrell Harris 6-12 0-0 14, Ralphie Blundo 5-11 0-0 13, Kai Cox 6-10 2-2 16, Chase Lemmon 1-2 0-0 3, Qualin Davis 1-3 0-0 2, Kingston Russell 1-1 0-0 2, Jayden Shaffer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 25-46 4-6 64.
Butler 3 16 15 9 — 43
New Castle 15 14 20 15 — 64
3-point goals: Butler 8 (Andrews, Forbes 3, Lucas 3, Gettinger), New Castle 10 (Harrison 2, Harris 2, Blundo 3, Lemmon, Cox 2)
