Riverview girls make 6th straight playoff appearance

By: Michael Love
Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 11:01 AM

The Riverview girls basketball team is in the WPIAL playoffs for the sixth year in a row and for the 13th time in 14 seasons.

This year’s youthful Raiders squad, with just three seniors and a number of underclassmen contributing big minutes, hopes to rise up when the Class A tournament begins this weekend.

Coach Jill Catanzaro said she wants to see her team perform well in the playoffs and build off of strides made throughout the regular season.

“The playoffs are another opportunity to get better, see what’s out there, and see what we can do,” Catanzaro said

“It’s also just a great opportunity to stay together and continue to grow together. (This week), we’re going to have four or five more practices before the playoff game that a team which didn’t make the playoffs isn’t going to get. With a young team, that is so valuable.”

Catanzaro said the girls have had to dig deep through what has been a long season since the start of preseason practices three months ago.

“I told the girls, ‘I get it,’ “ she said. “I experienced that as a player at Pitt. We go six days a week. It can be a grind. But when they are here, they are ready to work.”

Riverview was 6-1 in Section 3-A and 11-8 overall heading into the section and regular-season finale Thursday at St. Joseph.

St. Joseph quickly took control of the section and has been on top since the start of play early last month. The Spartans were No. 3 in the Trib HSSN WPIAL Class A rankings released Feb. 5.

“You can’t teach tall,” Catanzaro said of the St. Joseph lineup.

“They have 6-2, 5-11, 5-10 and 5-10 in their starting lineup. They rebound well and play good defense. They are a very good team and will be a tough out in the playoffs. When we played them the first time, we didn’t shoot well at all.”

The playoff pairings for the six girls and six boys tournaments were to be released Monday afternoon on Trib HSSN.

“We have not been at full strength consistently where I would have my top seven,” Catanzaro said.

“Hopefully, we can be at full strength for the playoffs. We’ve shown we can play effectively.”

As the youthful Raiders have moved through the season, different scoring leaders have emerged, from senior Brionna Long and junior Lola Abraham to sophomores Lily Bauer and Katarina Tsambis, and freshman Isabella Chaparro.

Chaparro scored a game-best 15, Tsambis added 13 and Bauer 12 as the Raiders rolled past rival Springdale, 56-32, in a nonsection game Feb. 7.

Riverview left no doubt early on, outscoring the Dynamos, 20-4, in the first quarter.

Catanzaro said she has seen a competitive fire in a number of the games where her team fell short.

“There have been a couple games that we lost where we were doing well and were within striking distance at halftime and then something happened like not taking care of the ball or a couple of missed shots and it just snowballed on us,” she said.

Against Apollo-Ridge, Riverview played even with the Class 2A Vikings (18-3) before the Raiders fell victim to turnovers and inconsistent shooting. Apollo-Ridge pulled away for a 62-31 win.

Catanzaro pointed to the way she has poured so much into having her players develop leadership qualities throughout the season. She said they have responded.

“It’s all about accountability for a particular individual or for their teammates,” she said.

“They are doing the things and saying the things before I have to do it or say it.”

The three seniors — Brionna Long, Mia Walls and Ava Blickenderfer — were recognized before a section win over Hillel Academy on Jan. 30.

“Brionna brings a strong sense of that leadership along with what she can do on the court,” Catanzaro said.

“Ava really brings a spirit and enthusiasm to this team. Mia is that same way where she has an energy that is uplifting to the team. It was such a great night to be able to celebrate them. Those three have a special spot in my heart.”

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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