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Just like last time, Latrobe’s Austin Butler needed to score.
But in this rematch with section host Fox Chapel, the Wildcats star also was asked to make sure the Foxes’ Jake Livingston didn’t.
Butler shined offensively and scored a game-high 28 points in Tuesday night’s 81-70 victory that pulled Latrobe into a second-place tie with Fox Chapel in Section 3 of Class 6A. But maybe just as important, Butler defended Livingston well and held the Foxes’ 6-foot-5 senior to seven first-half points.
Livingston scored 27 against Latrobe in January when Fox Chapel won 84-82 in overtime.
“They said take control, shut him down,” Butler said. “In the first half I felt like I did that.”
Butler was in foul trouble in the second half, Livingston capitalized and finished with 19 points. But Latrobe already had established its tempo, built an early lead and maintained it for much of the night.
Fox Chapel was within eight with 2:49 left after two free throws by the Dimitri Spina but got no closer.
“They came down to our place and really got physical,” Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel said. “Livingston had an incredibly good game. … Austin is a good matchup for him. They’re both similar in strength. I thought, tonight, I’m going to put that in my senior’s hands. He wanted to guard the guy who hurt us at our place. We said, absolutely.”
Latrobe (17-3, 11-2) and Fox Chapel (18-2, 11-2) are now tied for second place, a game behind Penn Hills (12-1). Latrobe hosts Penn Hills in the section finale Friday with a chance to share the title.
Fox Chapel had four scorers in double figures. Carson Cohen scored 17. Spina and Mike Snowball each added 12. Jake Biss had 16 for Latrobe.
“We made some turnovers and self-inflicted wounds that hurt us early,” Fox Chapel coach Zack Skrinjar said. “We just never could get over that. They had that eight-point lead for the majority of the game.”
Butler scored Latrobe’s first five points, finished the first quarter with 12, and pushed his team to a quick 12-point lead. Butler made five of his first seven shots, including two of his first three attempts from the 3-point line.
Latrobe led 21-9 after a 3-pointer and layup by Butler with 70 seconds left in the first quarter. His two shots completed a 10-0 run.
“They controlled the tempo last time,” Butler said. “This time coaches said we’ve got to come out, punch them in the mouth and show them we’re not a bunch of babies from Latrobe. We can handle the big boys.”
Fox Chapel trailed 21-13 after one quarter, until it cut into Latrobe’s lead with a 6-0 run early in the second. But Latrobe answered with its own 9-0 run, including a layup and foul shot by Butler.
Butler finished with 20 first-half points and Latrobe led 39-27 at half.
Fox Chapel tried again to pull within single digits early in the third, but Latrobe hit three consecutive 3-pointers in 57 seconds. Butler hit the first and third, the last a 3 from straight away to lead 50-36.
Latrobe led 60-48 after three.
“Tempo was big for us,” Wetzel said. “We never got it at our place. We fought uphill the whole way. Tonight we established ourselves early.”