Makayla Canty powers Seneca Valley girls basketball in rout of Butler after Natalie Hambly reaches milestone
BUTLER TWP — If this game is a “B, B-plus” as head coach Dorothea Epps called it, Seneca Valley girls basketball is going to be a problem.
On a night when senior guard Natalie Hambly became just the third Raider ever to score 1,000 career points, it was a showcase of shooting depth that proved how dangerous Seneca Valley can be.
Hambly had 12 points, but Makayla Canty led the way with 18 — 10 of them in the third quarter — Brooke Dufford had 13 and Reece McFadden chipped in 10 as the Raiders routed Butler 60-41 in the first WPIAL Section 1-6A contest for either team in the new year at Butler High School.
“I don’t ever give out As, but I would say (tonight was) a B, B-plus,” Epps said.
Tough grader.
The Raiders (6-5, 3-0) shot 23 of 40 from the field, dominated on the glass and held the Golden Tornado (8-4, 1-2) to just 15 of 27 shooting.
Butler made six 3-pointers in the first half to keep things tight, trailing 30-25 at the break. But led by Canty’s third-quarter outburst, SV went on a 25-4 run out of halftime that blew the game open.
Hambly buries this corner 3, gives her 1,000 for her career and makes it 24-13 a minute into the 2Q.
— Jake Merda Adams (@jakemerdaadams.bsky.social) January 5, 2026 at 7:54 PM
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“You’re not gonna come back from that,” Tornado coach Mark Maier said.
The Raiders turned over Butler routinely during the stretch, got easy buckets and spread the wealth. Their final 12 points of the game, in the fourth quarter, were all 3s. The defense blocked three shots, and Canty had three of her unofficial five rebounds in the second half.
“I thought on both ends she was locked in and really showed her abilities for the pass, for the shot, for the handle,” Epps said. “She’s versatile, and that really helps us.”
“It’s awesome playing with her,” Hambly said.
Hambly got her 1,000th point on a corner 3-pointer to start the second quarter, capping a nine-minute stretch in which she scored on two layups, including one right off the opening tipoff, and a couple free throws.
“It feels pretty great,” Hambly said. “A lot of hard work, my teammates found me. It was just really energetic today.”
Emily Hoffer paced Butler with 14 points, including a pair of first-half makes from range. A natural wing forced to play more in the paint due to injuries on the roster, she added a handful of rebounds, too.
“I think Emily Hoffer played well,” Maier said. “We’re asking a lot of her.”
Malina McElroy and Eva Stutz each had eight points for Butler.
SENECA VALLEY 60
Reece McFadden 4 0-0 10, Makayla Canty 7 2-2 18, Ella Omasits 0 0-0 0, Natalie Hambly 4 2-2 12, Brooke Dufford 5 3-4 13, Erica Rebovich 0 0-0 0, Taylor Dixon 3 0-0 7, Maya Lodovico 0 0-0 0, Adeline Bontatibus 0 0-0 0, Regan Ponchek 0 0-0 0, Carson Helwig 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 7-8 60
BUTLER 41
Malina McElroy 3 1-4 8, Campbell Clouse 0 0-0 0, Eva Stutz 2 2-2 8, Payton Kamerer 0 0-0 0, Emily Hoffer 6 0-0 14, Julianna Lockwood 0 0-0 0, Jordan Ryan 1 0-0 3, Emily Cornish 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Dick 2 1-1 5, Sofia Matonak 0 0-0 0, Sydney Karenbauaer 1 0-0 3, Vanessa Graham 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 4-7 41
Seneca Valley 21 9 18 12 — 60
Butler 13 12 4 12 — 41
3-point goals: Seneca Valley 7 (McFadden 2, Canty 2, Hambly 2, Dixon); Butler 7 (Hoffer 2, Stutz 2, McElroy, Ryan, Karenbauaer).
Thursday: Butler at Pine-Richland
Friday: Seneca Valley at Woodland Hills
