Amelia McMichael, Sydney Patterson power Butler girls basketball to Slippery Rock tournament title

December 07, 2024 Last Updated: December 08, 2024 02:41 PM Sports

Malina McElroy

SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Butler girls basketball coach Mark Maier was looking at the numbers and liked the way they stacked up.

Four players in double figures. A 42-20 rebound advantage. A 23-12 edge in turnovers. Assists on more than 50% of his team’s field goals.

They all added up to a 65-35 victory over Slippery Rock as the Golden Tornado won the Rockets’ Tip-Off Tournament title Saturday afternoon.

“We almost placed a fifth in double figures,” Maier said. “When you can get production from one through seven on your roster, you’re going to win a lot of games.”

This game was never in doubt.

The Tornado (3-0) jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first two-plus minutes, and Slippery Rock (1-1) never got closer than seven points the rest of the way. Butler had a 37-19 lead at halftime and took a 29-point lead (55-26) into the final quarter.

“Most teams we play are going to face-guard Amelia (McMichael), but our team is much more than one player,” Maier said. “Malina McElroy played great defense, Avery (Maier) rebounded, we spread the ball around well.“

Butler scored the final seven points of the first half after a CJ Sabo layup pulled Slippery Rock within 30-19 with 2:57 left before intermission. Sabo, a senior guard, led the Rockets with 21 points and a pair of assists.

“CJ is an athlete who comes from a competitive family,” Rockets coach Jeff Steele said. “Her family toughness showed on the court today. This game could have gotten out of hand much earlier, but she made some aggressive buckets to keep us in it.”

Ultimately, Butler’s balance — and experience — were too much.

McMichael had 14 points and six rebounds for the Tornado. Point guard Sydney Patterson had 13 points, three assists and three steals. Both are three-year starters.

“I feel like we’re going to have a really good season,” Patterson said. “Everybody knows everybody, and we’ve been together for a long time. My teammates work so hard to get open inside. It’s easy for me to pass the ball to them.”

Butler's Casey Clouse (34) shoots a 3-pointer in front of Slippery Rock's Belle Miller (21) in a girls basketball game during the Slippery Rock Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at Slippery Rock High School. Holly Mead/Special to the Butler Eagle

Avery Maier contributed 11 points, 10 rebounds ad two steals to the Butler cause. Eva Stutz came off the bench to score 11 points, including three treys. McElroy had nine points, five assists and four steals.

“Someone once told me that you win with seniors in girls basketball,” Coach Maier said. “We have some seasoned ones on this team. We’re playing together, sharing the ball and I love to see that.”

The Tornado wound up with 65 field goal attempts compared to 38 for Slippery Rock.

“We knew this would be a tough game, but we competed and that’s what I was looking for,” Steele said. “I wanted the girls to compete hard for 32 minutes, and they did.

“To begin the third quarter, I wanted us to score a field goal and get a stop, go from there. Instead, we missed, they scored and things went the other way. It was reversed. That’s a learning tool. It’s important to come out strong.”

BUTLER 65

Malina McElroy 3-7 2-3 9, Cameryn Booher 2-4 0-0 5, Eva Stutz 4-9 0-0 11, Payton Kamerer 0-0 0-0 0, Sydney Patterson 6-9 0-0 13, Ashton Huff 0-2 0-0 0, Avery Maier 4-12 3-3 11, Amelia McMichael 6-18 0-0 14, Casey Clouse 1-3 0-0 2, Emily Cornish 0-0 0-0 0, Katie Dick 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 26-65 5-8 65.

SLIPPERY ROCK 35

CJ Sabo 8-12 2-4 21, Brielle Jordan 2-6 0-0 5, Isabel Drake 0-6 0-0 0, Gia Kovacik 0-0 0-0 0, Vanessa Hinkle 0-1 0-0 0, Ryleigh Cornelius 0-2 0-0 0, Belle Miller 3-4 0-0 6, Madison Romanovich 1-7 0-0 3, Izzy Vukson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-38 2-4 35.

Butler 19 18 18 10 - 65

Slippery Rock 10 9 7 9 - 35

3-point goals: Butler 8 (McElroy, Booher, Stutz 3, Patterson, McMichael 2), Slippery Rock 5 (Sabo 3, Jordan, Romanovich)