Tornado gathering strength

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By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor

BUTLER TWP — Stops are good. Stops and scores are better.
Butler's boys basketball team discovered the latter in posting a 61-47 victory over Shady Side Academy Saturday night.
"We've been getting stops on the defensive side,"Golden Tornado coach Joe Lewandowski said. "Teams have been having trouble scoring against us We've already shut out a team in a quarter.
"When you get stops on one end, then score on the other end, and do that repeatedly ... That's when you're clicking. And that's what we're starting to do."
Shady Side (1-6) sank four 3-pointers in the first three minutes and grabbed a 12-8 lead with 3:27 left in the opening quarter. Then Butler went on a 27-2 run, taking a 35-14 lead with 2:46 left in the first half and seemingly putting the game away.
"We scored two points in the second quarter and we had no answer for No. 32,"Shady Side coach Terrance Parham said.
Sean Lowry wears No. 32 for Butler and he led the Tornado (4-3) with 23 points, seven rebounds and three steals. He also started that 27-2 run with two free throws and a short baseline jumper.
Lowry scored Butler's first seven points of the second quarter on two lay-ups and a three-point play.
"Sean is sneaky athletic,"Lewandowski said. "He can score from a lot of angles."
He recognized Butler's problem on defense early, as well.
"We weren't getting hands in people's faces,"Lowry said. "That team can shoot the ball. We had to get out and contest them."
Butler's lead peaked at 40-18 early in the third quarter, but Shady Side scrapped its way back into the game. When Dan Rooney stuck back an offensive rebound and Alfonso Costa stole the ball and scored on a fast-break, the visitors trailed only 46-37 with 5:05 to play.
It would get no closer.
Mike Pratkanis scored eight of his 12 points in the final quarter as the Tornado widened the lead again.
"Mike is just a young player and he keeps getting better with every game,"Lewandowski said. "He had a great fourth quarter tonight when we needed it.
"Cody Fleeger was aggressive going to the basket and it was good to see that. We've got Sean and Mike in there already and if we can get Cody to drive to the hoop from the perimeter, we'll continue to get to the foul line — and these guys can shoot free throws."
Butler sank 16 of 21 free throws Saturday.
"They weren't missing at the line and that makes it hard to make up ground,"Parham said. "But when you lose by 14 and score just two points in a quarter, there's your difference."
Costa, averaging 15 points per game, scored 25 for Shady Side on this night, canning five treys. Jordan Foley, a Butler resident, added eight points and hit two 3-pointers.
Butler had a 27-19 edge in rebounding with Fleeger grabbing five boards. Ross Brendel had seven rebounds for Shady Side.
Only one team — Plum with 60 — has managed to score 50 or more points against the Tornado thus far. Butler's 61 points Saturday set a season-high for the second straight game.
The Tornado begin section play Tuesday at North Hills.
"We've used this exhibition schedule well," Lewandowski said. "We've played different types of opponents and our kids have gotten used to each other. Our guys know their roles now."
Shady Side graduated nine seniors from a team that won 21 of 25 games and a section title last year.
"I can't say we're rebuilding because our team has a lot of talent,"Parham said. "All we need is experience and we got some tonight."

SHADYSIDEACADEMY47
Alfonso Costa 10-21 0-0 25, Dan Rooney 1-3 0-0 2, Rob Bennett 0-3 3-4 3, Mark Reynolds 1-1 0-0 2, Billy Nickel 0-2 2-2 2, Ross Brendel 0-2 1-2 1, D.J. Egan 1-2 0-0 2, Ben Kander 1-3 0-0 2, Jordan Foley 3-5 0-0 8. Totals: 17-42 6-8 47
BUTLER61
Mike Pratkanis 5-45 2-2 12, Cody Fleeger 2-8 4-6 9, Brian Deangelis 1-2 0-0 2, Sean Lowry 7-13 9-11 23, Chris Klutinoty 3-3 0-0 8, Ryan Melder 0-0 0-0 0, Aaron Dorondo 1-1 0-0 2, Derek Stobert 1-1 0-0 2, Austin Snodgrass 0-1 1-2 1, Bill Coleman 0-0 0-0 0, Jereme Buffington 0-2 0-0 0, Jace Lumley 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 21-37 16-21 61

Shady Side 14 2 15 16—47
Butler 22 14 10 15—61
3-point goals: Costa 5, Foley 2; Fleeger, Klutinoty 2
JV: Butler, 49-35 (B-David Schmidt 12, SS-Billy Nickel 10)