Butler boys basketball can’t mount comeback, loses to North Allegheny in WPIAL section opener
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Butler junior Kyle Casteel takes it to the rim against North Allegheny during the first half of a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler junior Andrew Gettinger takes a 3-point shot against North Allegheny during the first half of a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The girls Upward Cheerleading Squad performed during half time during a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The girls Upward Cheerleading Squad performed during half time during a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The girls Upward Cheerleading Squad performed during half time during a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The girls Upward Cheerleading Squad performed during half time during a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The girls Upward Cheerleading Squad performed during half time during a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Tornado boys basketball team fell to North Allegheny in a boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
BUTLER TWP — The energy was there.
Seemingly for the first time all Friday night, the defensive stops were there.
All Butler needed was some shots to fall. But they didn’t.
“I felt like the whole night, we didn’t shoot bad from 3,” Golden Tornado boys basketball coach Matt Clement said after a 66-56 home loss to North Allegheny. “But our best looks in the most important times, we didn’t come up with.”
Andrew Gettinger’s step-back trey 45 seconds into the final frame shaved the Tigers’ lead to 55-46, the first time it was in single digits during the latter half. Combined with a trap defense that birthed some turnovers, it appeared Butler (5-1, 0-1) could claw back in its WPIAL Section 1 Class 6A opener.
“Fourth quarter, we just came in with the intention that like, ‘Hey, game’s not over,’” senior guard Tayt Lucas said. “We started to chip away at the lead, but unfortunately we couldn’t get over the hump.”
After Gettinger’s long-range make, however, the Golden Tornado didn’t sink a shot from the field for another 6 minutes, 17 seconds. They came up empty on eight of their next nine trips down the floor, until Lucas’ 3 with 58 seconds to go made it 60-51 and ended the dry spell.
“We had to pick it up defensively and try to get them to make mistakes, which we did a little bit,” Clement said. “Offensively, I think the second half, we executed better and came up with some open shots. I felt like ... they had a 7-9 point lead and we got an open 3 that we missed probably four times. I was telling the guys, ‘You make a 3 there and then get another steal — maybe they turn one over or miss a quick shot — then all of a sudden you make a bucket. Then it’s four, and the pressure is on them.’
“We never could get the pressure on them.”
The offensive woes started with what was going on at the other end, a theme that stretched back to the first 16 minutes.
“We emphasized handling their pressure tonight,” Clement said. “We had some turnovers that weren’t coming from their pressure. We were able to get in some offenses with some good looks. It’s just we’ve got to be better defensively early in the game. Our first-half defense right now is not doing well.”
“That first half, man, it kills us,” Lucas said.
Specifically, it was a 10-1 North Allegheny (4-1, 1-0) run over 3:19 that bridged the halves. Junior Peter Bratich, a 6-foot-7 forward, began that push with 2:07 left before the midway point. Carter Melzer added another four points with trips to the foul line, those bookending a Justin Stalter lay-in set up by Bratich, who slipped a pass by Jace Gratzmiller while pinned in the corner.
Jon Jubeck’s bucket after a Butler turnover to begin the third quarter made it 41-26. The Golden Tornado went down by as many as 17 points in that frame.
“I thought (Bratich) — who’s not one of their main offensive guys — made some shots in that second quarter that really helped them break loose,” Clement said. “They were like back-breakers.”
Gettinger fouled out with 5:59 to go after consecutive infractions. Other Butler starters were also in hot water for most of the second half.
“We’re already down a really good player (in Stainton Forbes) and Getty’s been at four fouls or fouled out a lot of games,” Clement said. “I’m playing him when he has foul trouble, so that’s why that’s happening. That kind of puts us in a tougher spot at times.”
The Tigers’ Melzer led all scorers with 23 points. Kyle Casteel had 18 for the Golden Tornado.
NORTH ALLEGHENY 66
Carter Melzer 8 6-10 23, Peter Bratich 5 0-2 11, John Jubeck 3 2-2 10, Justin Stalter 3 0-0 8, Will Robertson 1 4-4 6, Carson Burns 1 2-2 5, Ben Coffman 1 0-0 3. Totals: 22 14-20 66.
BUTLER 56
Kyle Casteel 7 2-2 18, Tayt Lucas 5 0-0 13, Andrew Gettinger 4 1-2 11, Ayden Andrews 2 2-2 7, Jace Gratzmiller 2 0-0 4, Tanner Pry 1 0-0 2, Mavrik Clement 0 1-2 1. Totals: 21 6-8 56.
North Allegheny 18 21 16 11 — 66
Butler 12 14 17 13 — 56
3-point goals: North Allegheny 8 (Jubeck 2, Stalter 2, Burns, Bratich, Melzer, Coffman): Butler 8 (Lucas 3, Gettinger 2, Casteel 2, Andrews)
Tuesday: Butler at North Hills
