Butler Rallies To Top Tigers, 72-61

Posted on: by North Allegheny

North Allegheny jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first half but the Butler Golden Tornado stormed back for a 72-61 win in Section 1-Class 6A action on Friday night. The Tigers raced to an 18-6 lead in the first quarter thanks to a hot start by Curtis Aiken.  The junior guard dropped in three 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the contest and finished with a game-high 28 points to lead the Tigers.

However, Butler began to edge back behind its own 3-point shooting prowess. The Golden Tornado poured in 10 of 23 shots from beyond the arc, receiving three 3-pointers apiece from Ethan Morton, Joel Stutz and Jason Gray. By the fourth quarter, the game was tied 50-50 with 6:35 remaining. Butler went on an 11-2 run to gain command of the contest and outlasted the Tigers for the section win.

Morton led Butler with 18 points, followed by Stutz’s 15 points and Tyler Frederick who chipped in with 14. Joining Aiken in double figures for the Tigers was senior post player Isaac Barnes who netted 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

North Allegheny slips to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in section play. Butler improves to 7-4 overall and 2-2 in the section. The Tigers will have a quick turnaround with a visit to West Virginia to face Wheeling Central Catholic at 10:00 this morning at the Cancer Research Classic.

Boys Basketball vs. Butler, 1-6-17

GAME SUMMARY
SCORE BY QUARTERS1234FINAL
North Allegheny2111131661
Butler1019192472