Narrow section losses proved costly for Riverview boys basketball

By: Michael Love
Sunday, February 26, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Riverview boys basketball coach Phil McGivney hoped to be involved in on-court playoff activities instead of recalling what could’ve been from the regular season.

The Raiders set themselves up for a run to the WPIAL postseason, but some tough outcomes down the stretch foiled their plans for the playoffs.

“I wish I wasn’t talking about the end of the season this early,” Riverview coach Phil McGivney said. “I wish I was talking about it in March.”

Riverview went 2-7 over its final nine section games to finished 4-8 (fifth place) in Section 3-2A and 12-10 overall.

The Raiders’ playoff hopes came down to a pair of Feb. 7 section games.

Riverview needed to win at Leechburg and have Jeannette lose at home to Springdale to stay alive in the playoff race.

The Raiders did their part as four players scored in double figures — seniors Amberson Bauer (14), Jack Betler (13) and Ben Hower (11); and junior Nate Sprajcar (11) — in a 60-47 victory over the Blue Devils.

The win avenged an earlier 78-74 home setback to Leechburg from Jan. 13.

However, Jeannette toppled Springdale, 49-45, to eliminate the Raiders from postseason contention.

“We had played a very solid game against Leechburg, one of the better ones in the second half of the season,” McGivney said.

“As soon as we pulled into the school parking lot, the Jeannette-Springdale final popped up, and we knew at that point in time we were eliminated. That was kind of a tough, bittersweet night for the guys.”

Jeannette finished third in the standings at 7-5, while Clairton wrapped up fourth (5-7) by one game over Riverview.

The Raiders had several close section outcomes, and the second meeting against Clairton on Jan. 24 was no exception.

Riverview — which got 17 from Sprajcar and 13 more from senior Luke Midgley — led by two points heading into the fourth quarter, but the Bears used a five-point advantage over the final eight minutes to score a 62-59 victory.

Had the Raiders held on for the win and everything else had stayed the same, Riverview would’ve been the team to finish in fourth.

“We lost five section games by four points or less,” McGivney said.

“Included in those five was an overtime loss (at Jeannette on Jan. 17). A couple breaks in each of those games and the opportunities we could’ve taken advantage of, and our fate could’ve been a lot different. It was frustrating in a sense, but the guys battled hard every game. The senior class wanted to be the ones to get into the playoffs and break that playoff-win drought.”

The Riverview boys haven’t won a WPIAL playoff game since 1999.

“There were a lot of heavy hearts,” McGivney said. “You feel for them. As coaches, we wanted them to be successful. At the same time, there are a lot of lessons to be learned by the underclassmen. It is a process to win close games. We won some, and we didn’t win some. We did have some underclassmen play some significant minutes. Hopefully, they can use these experiences as building blocks and keep the program moving forward. I have all the confidence in the world that they will do that.”

Bauer led Riverview in scoring this season at 15.6 points a game. Sprajcar averaged 14.2 points and added 8.3 rebounds a contest. Hower also was among the leaders in points (12.2) and rebounds (6.8).

Betler averaged 7.5 rebounds, and Migely provided 4.5 assists a game.

Enzo Lio and Daniel Roupas also were among the six-member senior class.

“This senior group was special,” McGivney said. “They worked hard. They were a close-knit group on and off the court. They always had each other’s backs. Each class is special in their own ways. This class showed a lot of togetherness. They were great leaders who showed the younger guys what it took to be successful and be ready to give their best each practice and each game.

“We had a lot of ups and downs this season, but they were fantastic role models in how to keep things focused in the right direction.”

McGivney said Sprajcar hopes to increase his visibility and impact as a major returnee to the team for the 2023-24 season.

“Nate was a leader this year as a captain, and he welcomes the opportunity to come back and get better for next season,” McGivney said.

“Players looked up to him. The role he’s going to have to assume next year is going to be larger, and he understands that. He’s already looking to get back in the gym and the weight room and get things rolling. He plays out of season. He’s a 12-month hooper. He’s very dedicated to the game.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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