WEXFORD — Both the Seneca Valley and Peters Township girls basketball teams had the same game plan coming into their first round WPIAL 6A game.

Get off to a fast start.

Peters Township did.

Seneca Valley didn't.

That ended up being the difference as the Raiders fell to the Indians, 55-41, Tuesday at North Allegheny.

“When they got the early lead, they built some confidence, which is what we didn't want them to do,” said Seneca Valley coach Rob Lombardo. “We wanted to be the one to get the lead and then play our style the way we like to play. They came out and did what we wanted.”

The teams played even for the first four minutes, but Peters Township went on a 16-0 run to take a 22-6 lead early in the second quarter.

That hole was far too deep for Seneca Valley, a usually patient offensive team, to crawl out of.

And it was the perfect start for the Indians.

“It's always your goal (to get off to a fast start), but it was with them in particular,” said Peters Township coach Brian Geyer. “We have a team in our section, Upper St. Clair, that is very patient on offense and I liken them to Seneca Valley. We knew if we could press, get some transition hoops, and get out ahead of them, we'd be OK.”

Peters Township (14-8) was also adept at keeping Seneca Valley at arm's length after building the big early advantage.

The lead was 13 at the half and bulged to 19 at the end of the third quarter.

Seneca Valley (9-14), though, was able to whittle away at that big lead and cut the deficit to 10 with 1:47 remaining in the game.

The rally was too little, too late.

Peters Township only scored two points over a nine-minute stretch covering the end of the third quarter and the fourth, but was still able to hold on.

“Our girls never quit,” Lombardo said. “I was very proud of my sophomores, McKenna Gross and Gretchen Koken. They really stepped up big. They were in the huddle and they were leaders.”

Gross and Koken hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to turn a 16-point deficit into a 10-point one, but that's as close as Seneca Valley got.

Gross scored 14 points and Koken added 11.

The Raiders' top two scorers this season, seniors Erin Danik and Michaela Lamont, were held to a combined 10 points.

Danik scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting and didn't get to the line.

“They collapsed on her every time she touched the ball, which we expected,” Lombardo said. “They didn't even let her get the ball. They did one of the best jobs we've seen on Erin.”

Lamont scored eight, but was in foul trouble in the first half, which limited her production.

Peters Township had a three-headed monster in Makenna Marisa, Lillian Young and Isabella Mills.

The trio combined for 43 of the Indians' 55 points with Marisa leading the way with 17.

“They're really starting to look for each other,” Geyer said. “It took a lot of the season to really jell.”

Peters Township will take on Penn Hills Friday in the quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.

Seneca Valley's season ends and so does one of the most successful four-year runs for a class.

“They're one of the winningest classes Seneca has ever had,” Lombardo said. “Four playoff appearances in a row. They accomplished a lot. They deserved a playoff win. That's the only thing they're leaving their careers without.”

SENECA VALLEY 55

Erin Danik 1-5 0-0 2, Michael Lamont 4-8 0-0 8, McKenna Gross 5-15 2-2 14, Karlie Martin 0-3 0-0 0, Gretchen Koken 2-4 6-8 11, Anna Sullivan 1-4 4-4 6, Kelse Cruttenden 0-0 0-0 0, Jorden Jamieson 0-1 0-0 0, Julie Milton 0-0 0-0, Anna Crisci 0-0 0-0 0, Haley Cramer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 13-40 12-14 55.

PETERS TOWNSHIP 41

Alexandra Zuccarini 1-4 4-4 6, Lillian Young 6-12 1-3 14, Alyssa Konopka 0-4 2-2 2, Makenna Marisa 8-12 1-1 17, Isabella Mills 5-14 1-1 12, Hannah Stuck 0-1 0-2 0, Olivia Ziegler 0-2 4-4 4. Totals: 20-39 13-17 41.

Seneca Valley 6 8 10 17 — 55

Peters Township19 8 16 12 — 41

3-point goals: Seneca Valley 3 (Gross 2, Koken); Peters Township 2 (Young, Mills)