Butler rally shocks rival
Late 14-0 run hands Golden Tornado critical 55-51 win at North Allegheny

By John Enrietto 
Eagle Sports Editor 

WEXFORD — Talk about improbable. 
When Keegan Phillips sank a lay-up with 1:06 left in the third quarter, North Allegheny had opened up an 11-point lead at home against Butler — with plenty of momentum on its side. 
“It looked like there was no way we were going to win this game,” Butler coach Matt Clement admitted. 
Guess again. 
The Golden Tornado responded with a 14-0 run, held the Tigers to three points in the final quarter and came away with a critical 55-51 Section 3-AAAA boys basketball win on the road Tuesday night. 
“Huge win ... absolutely huge,” Butler junior center Tyler Frederick said. “This puts us in good position to make the playoffs.” 
The win moved Butler (13-5, 6-4) into fourth place in the section and allows the Tornado to control their own destiny in terms of securing a playoff spot. Butler closes the section season with games against Central Catholic and Seneca Valley next week. 
“I don’t even know what to say,” Clement said. “I can’t say enough about the kids in that locker room. When we lost (54-52) to Pine-Richland, I was reverting back to my MLB days. I couldn’t let it go. 
“A coach and good friend, told me, though, ‘They are a lot more resilient than we are.’ He was right.” 
Butler fell behind 15-4 in the first six minutes and pulled within 34-33 on a Frederick 3-point play with 5:16 left in the third quarter. North Allegheny (9-7, 5-4) went on a 12-2 run at that point to open up its 11-point lead. 
The Tornado switched to a 1-3-1 zone in the fourth and the Tigers’ offense went away. North Allegheny sank just one of nine shots from the field — not scoring a field goal until 1:10 was left in the game — and one of five shots from the free throw line. 
Butler hit eight of 12 free throws in the fourth period. 
“We’ll take it,” Clement said of the free throw success. 
Kelley Kuharic came off the bench to sink two treys in the fourth quarter. The first pulled the Tornado within 48-42 15 seconds into the frame. The second gave Butler a 51-48 lead — its first lead of the game — with 4:05 to play. Jace Stutz had tied the game with a lay-up 40 seconds earlier. 
“The guys set some great screens to set me up,” Kuharic said of the treys. “Fortunately, the shots went in. 
“Absolutely, the biggest shots of my (high school) career.” 
Nothing was going in for the Tigers. 
Curtis Aiken hit a free throw for NA’s first point of the quarter with 2:30 left. Kuharic countered with a free throw with 2:15 left. 
The teams exchanged possessions until a Griffin Sestili lay-up pulled North Allegheny within 52-51 with 1:10 to play. Frederick canned a pair of free throws with 17.6 seconds left. 
Aiken missed the front end of a one-and-one with 7.4 seconds left and Joel Stutz hit a free throw with 5.6 seconds to go to ice the come-from-behind victory. 
Connor Ollio paced Butler with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Frederick had 13 points and 14 rebounds, Kuharic 10 points. 
Butler enjoyed a 34-22 edge in rebounding and won the game despite 20 turnovers. Frederick had numerous rebounds down the stretch. 
“I just kept crashing the boards and the ball kept finding me,” he said. 
“The lineup we had out there to end the game might have played together for three minutes all year,” Clement said. “That’s just how this game went. And I’m so happy for Kelley. His teammates are all happy for him, too. He came up big tonight. A lot of guys did.” 
Aiken, who scored 41 points in NA’s 87-70 win at Butler earlier this year, led the Tigers with 17 points. Keegan Phillips added 12. 
North Allegheny coach Dave DeGregorio could not be reached for comment. 
Butler won the junior varsity game, 49-45, as Jordan Bailey sealed the win with a steal and lay-up in the closing seconds. 
BUTLER 55 
Damien Pickett 0-0 0-0 0, Kaden Rock 2-6 0-0 6, Luke Michalek 1-5 2-4 5, Kelley Kuharic 3-4 2-2 10, Jace Stutz 1-2 0-0 2, Tyler Frederick 5-8 3-3 13, Connor Ollio 6-9 4-4 16, Joel Stutz 1-7 1-2 3. Totals: 19-41 11-17 55. 
NORTH ALLEGHENY 51 
Isaiah Zeise 1-3 2-4 4, Luke Carter 0-1 0-0 0, Ethan Maenza 1-2 0-0 2, Curtis Aiken 6-13 3-5 17, Ray Sandherr 1-5 0-0 3, Keegan Phillips 6-10 0-0 12, Devin Bleumling 1-3 0-0 2, Griffin Sestili 3-6 1-2 7, Isaac Barnes 2-5 0-0 4. Totals: 21-48 6-12. 
Butler 9 14 16 16 — 55 
N.Allegheny19 11 18 3 — 51 
3-point goals: Rock 2, Michalek, Kuharic 3; Aiken 2, Sandherr 
JV: Butler, 49-45 (B: Jordan Bailey 15, Ian McCarrier 13; NA: Grant Lynch 16, Luke Vigsitis 10)