COLLIER TWP — Riverview is the only team to hold the Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic girls basketball team under 50 points this season.

The Raiders did so twice — and still came up empty.

The Trojanettes (22-2) withstood a pair of Riverview rallies to post a 48-36 WPIAL Class A quarterfinal victory Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School.

That win sets up a semifinal game between CW North Catholic and Cornell Wednesday night at North Allegheny.

“Every time it looked like we would pull away, Riverview came right back at us,” CW North Catholic coach Molly Rottmann said.

The Trojanettes defeated Riverview handily twice in the regular season — 47-29 and 73-42 — but struggled against the Raiders Saturday. A 15-6 lead after one quarter was shaved to 15-14. A 29-16 third-quarter lead was trimmed to 29-24.

“We took the air out of the ball a little bit,” Raiders’ coach Keith Stitt admitted. “We had to do that. North Catholic is capable of scoring 70 or 80 points. I don’t know that we can do that.”

Sam Breen, who had 24 points, six rebounds and three assists on the day, hit a 3-pointer to give the Trojanettes a 41-28 lead with 3:58 to play. Riverview (14-9) fought back again as Sadie Buchser stuck back an offensive rebound, then stole the ball and laid it in with 58 seconds left. That cut the deficit to 41-34.

But CWNC put the game away at the foul line from there.

Riverview never led in the game.

“Playing a team three times is always difficult and we beat them by 30 at our place,” Rottmann said. “Keith is a great coach and preps his team very well.

“This is the sixth time we’ve played them in the past two years. He always has something different ready for you in the playoffs.”

The Trojanettes barely survived Riverview, 41-40, in the WPIAL semifinal round last season.

“The way this game was going ... I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have flashbacks to that game,” Rottmann admitted.

Breen said her team did not take Riverview lightly, but “I did think this would be easier than it was.

“I mean, we weren’t cocky, but we believed we could take control of this game. It just never seemed to happen.

“They slowed the pace down, held the ball ... That was frustrating, but we have to be able to win that way, too,” Breen added.

Dani Short had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Trojanettes while Abby Goetz had five assists and three steals, Kylie Huffman seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Riverview had 17 turnovers in the game, seven in the fourth quarter.

“They had a big size advantage on us,” Stitt said. “Our girls played their hearts out. That’s all you can ask.”

Buchser, a senior guard, scored 22 points and contributed five steals for the Raiders. Ariel Rafferty added eight points, 10 rebounds and three steals.

“She (Buchser) is an excellent player, but most of her points came in transition,” Rottmann said. “I thought we handled their half-court game pretty well.

“Our defense was the difference today.”

RIVERVIEW 36

Molly Kennedy 1-2 0-0 2, Martha Stock 0-0 0-0 0, Candicve Ashbaugh 0-2 0-0 0, Nicole Munion 2-6 0-0 4, Sadie Buchser 10-17 2-2 22, Ariel Rafferty 4-12 0-0 8. Totals: 17-39 2-2 36.

CW NORTH CATHOLIC 48

Ashley Robbins 1-3 0-0 3, Amanda Bucklew 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Goetz 2-8 1-2 6, Kylie Huffman 0-8 3-4 3, Dani Short 5-8 2-5 12, Sam Breen 9-18 5-10 24. Totals: 17-45 11-20 48.

Riverview 6 10 8 12 — 36

CW North Cath.15 6 10 17 — 48

3-point goals: Roberts, Goetz, Breen

Wednesday: WPIAL Class A semifinal-CW North Catholic vs. Cornell, 8 p.m., at North Allegheny