MURRYSVILLE — Just over a minute into the third quarter, host Franklin Regional had shaven a seven-point halftime deficit to one.

The Panthers cashed in on a pair of Butler turnovers and a missed three-point attempt, appearing to swiftly steal back the momentum it had fumbled away midway through the second frame.

Braylon Littlejohn was having none of that, though.

Over the few minutes to follow, the Butler senior guard grabbed the wheel, looking every bit the part of the best player on the floor Friday night.

Littlejohn pinned up a game-high 24 points and added 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double as the Golden Tornado departed on the right side of a 63-60 final.

“I think the most impressive thing about Braylon is there’s no panic in him,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “You have great players that you’re going to see the whole year in the WPIAL, and some of them have to get their points early to get going. ... I don’t necessarily think it was because they stopped him.

“Braylon was feeling the game through. He was doing his thing.”

Right after Colin Masten, Cooper Rankin, and Cameron Rowell made buckets to construct their side’s 6-0 charge out of the intermission and make it 31-30, Littlejohn ripped down an offensive board that led to an and-one moments later. Then, he’d pick-pocket a Panthers (5-0) player and drive for an easy lay-in on the other end.

Over the next couple of minutes, he’d chase down a missed shot for a put-back and finish at the rim once more to power a 9-2 Golden Tornado (3-1) surge.

Littlejohn was held scoreless in the opening quarter, which Franklin Regional began on a 10-2 run before treys by sophomore Donovan Carney and junior Tayt Lucas awakened the offense. Sophomore Andrew Gettinger provided a pair of offensive boards, a successful trip to the line, and a basket to pull Butler even at 12.

“The first quarter, they just did a great job with help defense, keeping me out of my rhythm,” Littlejohn said. “I was finally able to get going in the second half a little bit more.”

The team settled in after a rough start. It turned the ball over six times in the first eight minutes.

“They play fast,” Clement said. “It was a pretty hyped gym. ... We played in front of a lot of people on the road. We usually play in front of a lot of people at home who are for us. I think that game the other night got the nerves away for some of my sophomores who came in this game. They’ve experienced it a little bit already.

“I expected them to come out and play fast. I was hoping we wouldn’t get gouged too bad — and we didn’t.”

Littlejohn’s and-one on an inbounding play by Ayden Davis preceded an acrobatic finish under the basket that gave his team a permanent lead with 4:04 to go in the first half.

Butler had a 47-38 edge entering the final quarter after Kyle Casteel’s offensive rebound and bucket with three seconds to go in the third. Clement was pleased with how his squad held onto that advantage by executing.

“When we came out in the fourth quarter, we didn’t just hold the ball,” Clement said. “But, we ran 20-30 seconds just running our offense. ... It shortened the game at the end and we needed that game shortened at the end because it got close.”

Littlejohn recorded two-thirds of his points in the final 16 minutes.

“I just saw a bunch of opportunities, like every time they kept switching, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m just going to take them to the basket,’” Littlejohn said. “They couldn’t stop me then. I got my rhythm.”

Littlejohn added two assists, two steals, and a block on his stat sheet.

“He finds ways to get it done,” Panthers coach Jesse Reed said of Littlejohn. “We forced him into some tough ones early and he missed them, then late in the game he made a lot of tough ones, he made a lot of good moves. He’s a great player and great players are going to make plays whenever they need them.”

Lucas chipped in with 11 points and five boards in the victory, while Carney had 10 points and three rebounds.

BUTLER 63

Braylon Littlejohn 9 6-9 24, Tayt Lucas 4 0-0 11, Donovan Carney 3 2-2 10, Ayden Davis 3 0-0 7, Kyle Casteel 2 2-2 7, Andrew Gettinger 1 2-2 4. Totals: 22 12-15 63.

FRANKLIN REGIONAL 60

Cameron Rowell 8 7-9 23, Cooper Rankin 6 2-4 15, Finlan Hutchison 4 2-2 11, Colin Masten 2 4-5 8, Connor Crossey 1 0-0 3. Totals: 21 15-20 60.

Butler 15 16 16 16 — 63

Franklin Reg. 14 10 14 22 — 60

3-point goals: Butler 7 (Lucas 3, Carney 2, Davis, Casteel); Franklin Regional 3 (Crossey, Hutchison, Rankin)