Riverview boys basketball works to rebuild early momentum

By: Michael Love
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 5:41 PM

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The Riverview boys basketball team knows there still is time to make a move and get into playoff contention in Section 3-2A.

But the room for error is dwindling.

The Raiders (6-9, 1-5) can make hay in a big way Friday night as they host section leader Greensburg Central Catholic. They hope it’s a different story this time around after the Centurions pulled away for a 63-30 victory in the first meeting Dec. 15.

“GCC has size, scorers, and athleticism,” coach Phil McGivney said. “(Senior guard) Tyree (Turner) is one of the top couple of players in Class 2A. He plays hard and does a great job of distributing the ball. He’s a team player. They have size in (Franco) Alvarez. Liam (Gallagher) can really shoot the ball. They shot the ball successfully the first time. (Junior forward Ty Rozier) has nice size, too, and is a really nice addition to their lineup. Top to bottom, they are very solid.”

GCC, 13-2 overall and 6-0 in the section, enters the game No. 2 in the TribLive HSSN WPIAL Class 2A rankings behind Aliquippa.

Riverview entered the New Year winner of three straight with victories over Propel Braddock Hills, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Brentwood.

The Raiders hoped to keep it going against rival Springdale on Jan. 3, and the game was close into the fourth quarter.

But Springdale outscored Riverview, 22-8, in the fourth to post a 67-50 victory.

“It was very frustrating,” McGivney said. “It was 47-44 with about five minutes left in the game. We had several empty possessions where we didn’t score with a shot or turned the ball over and didn’t get a shot. Springdale did a nice job taking advantage of those empty possessions in being able to convert them into points. I commend them for making their free throws as well.”

Senior forward Nate Sprajcar had 21 points to lead Riverview, and junior Holden Deasy added 10.

“We know we get them again. I know we’ll be ready,” junior 6-foot-5 forward Alex Schultheis said.

The rematch with Springdale is next Friday at Riverview.

“We came out of the holiday pretty positive and looking forward to a tough stretch of games,” McGivney said. “We did a lot of good things against OLSH and Brentwood. Unfortunately, we fell short against Springdale and Eden before a nice win against Leechburg.”

Leechburg led 21-20 after the first quarter in the Jan. 12 matchup, and the game continued to go back and forth before a fourth-quarter offensive explosion.

The Raiders scored 34 points in the final stanza and pulled away for an 80-61 win.

“It was a great feeling considering we were very short-handed,” McGivney said. “We didn’t have (junior forward) Drew (Ogrodowski) or (senior guard) Jack (Loughren) that night. We hadn’t had (junior guard) Noah (Vespi) since the first Greensburg Central game (Dec. 15).

“We had guys step up big time. It was amazing to see how it unfolded in the fourth quarter where it was still a tight game going into (the fourth). I didn’t realize how close Nate was (to the school record) until I was told with about four or five minutes left. He was just making bucket after bucket. It was great because we got the win, and Nate was able to have his record-breaking night.”

Sprajcar scored 20 of his now school-record 45 points in the fourth quarter. He followed that game with 25 against Jeannette on Tuesday, and he leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points through 14 games.

“It still feels pretty surreal to me,” Sprajcar said about the record. “Getting the win out of the (Leechburg) game made it an even better night.”

Riverview graduate Nico Serro had the previous top mark of 42 points during the 2016-17 season.

“We have a good team with a lot of good guys who want to win,” Sprajcar said. “We’ve had some tough losses, but we’ve continued to work hard and prepare to win the next game. That has been our attitude since before the start of the season. We want to enjoy however many games we have left. Hopefully, it continues into the playoffs. It’s about going into every game giving 110 percent.”

McGivney and his players didn’t expect Jeannette to come out shooting as well as it did from 3-point range in their section home matchup.

The Jayhawks hit 10 of their first 12 3-point attempts as part of a 72-39 victory that put the Raiders at a frustrating 1-5 in the section.

“They aren’t a 3-point shooting team, so we decided to go zone, and they came out and were on fire from long range,” McGivney said.

“You live and you learn.”

The Raiders hoped to learn and grow from that game as they move through the second half of section play and attempt to keep their WPIAL playoff hopes alive.

“We were very positive in the locker room after (the Jeannette game),” McGivney said. “Jack and Nate really stepped up after I spoke to the team. We just have to keep our heads up high. It is about taking it one game at a time. We know we have very little margin for error entering the second half of the section schedule. We look at it knowing we have to value every possession like it is our last. The guys know they are a good team. Hopefully, we can put it together at the right time and be a factor down the stretch.”

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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