Riverview girls don’t let roster numbers keep them down

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 | 9:01 PM

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The Riverview girls basketball team is small in numbers this season, but it is big in terms of wins.

The Raiders, who have played some games this season with just the five starters seeing the floor, are 6-2 overall and 2-0 in Section 4-2A.

“At the beginning, it was rough at times where we would have the five, and maybe one on the bench,” Riverview coach Jill Catanzaro said.

“It was what we had. With the help of the senior leadership (Katerina Tsambis and Lily Bauer), everyone has settled into their roles from the start and understand what we need to do. They have ironed out the wrinkles in those roles. It has allowed them to shine.”

Riverview, No. 4 this week in the Triblive HSSN WPIAL Class 2A rankings, rides a five-game win streak into Friday’s section matchup at Ellis and also is gearing up for a key section contest Monday at home against Winchester Thurston.

“We’re pretty excited to get back into a regular schedule after not playing a lot of games over break,” Bauer said.

Raiders players were off for 12 days from a 70-21 win over Jeannette on Dec. 19 to last Thursday’s 48-41 come-from-behind victory over Apollo-Ridge.

“The section is kind of open to anyone,” Bauer said. “Last year, it was St. Joseph at the top. This year, we know we have a really good shot at the section title.

“Winchester is bigger, so we know we’re going to have to work on boxing out. But I think we can run them in transition.”

Riverview was down to Apollo-Ridge by 11 at halftime and as much as 14 in the first half. But led by Tsambis and junior sharp-shooter Isabel Chaparro, the Raiders rallied for the seven-point victory.

“We did come out a little rusty,” Catanzaro said. “We knew it might not be pretty, but the work in the weight room and our conditioning work really showed as all five girls were strong in the fourth quarter and down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, when a timeout was called, (Apollo-Ridge players) were walking to their huddle. Our girls were running to our huddle. Those things are our saving grace right now.

“The girls were in the locker room at halftime, and they were fired up. They were saying, ‘We’re not going to lose this game!’ They knew they weren’t playing to their potential. But they just kept chipping away in the second half. The deficit got swallowed up pretty darn quick. We also added a full-court press that sped them up a little bit.”

Tsambis was 7 of 10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and 10 of 15 for the game, which helped her lead the way with 22 points.

“Katerina will stay after practice and shoot until she gets 80 percent on her foul shots,” Catanzaro said. “That is just one example of what these girls will do to give themselves the best chance to win.”

Chaparro hit four 3-pointers, including two key ones in the fourth, and ended the game with 18 points.

Bauer fought through foul trouble and scored five crucial points — her total for the game — in the third quarter to help aid the rally.

Junior Lana Lynch also has contributed strong play in the starting lineup.

Sophomore Blake Huffman, a starter for the Raiders, has missed the past three games — Freeport, Jeannette, and Apollo-Ridge — while recovering from a concussion suffered in a Dec. 14 in over Sewickley Academy.

Catanzaro said she hopes Huffman can return soon.

“Blake’s had some good days doing some light work with no headaches,” Catanzaro said.

Huffman will have a checkup Friday to see when she can return.

“It will give us a chance to have a rotation where we can do some regular subbing,” Catanzaro said. “We’ve missed Blake’s hard work, her skill, and all she can do for us on the court.”

Freshman Elise Bear, Catanzaro said, has done an admirable job in place of Huffman in the starting lineup.

“We’re getting to the point where we have five on the floor who want to score,” Catanzaro said. “Elise is now showing flashes of brilliance. She can score. But her main role has been defense.

The team hopes to get another player on the court by the end of the month when sophomore forward Juliette Brun comes back from study abroad in Belgium.

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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