JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley boys basketball coach Victor Giannotta watched his team play a near-perfect first half Jan. 5 at Shaler, leading by 32 points at halftime.

The Raiders went on to win that game 73-46, but Giannotta was expecting a much different type of meeting in Tuesday's rematch.

And was it ever.

The Raiders endured a poor shooting effort — they were 5-of-31 from the field at one point late in the third quarter. Junior forward Marcus Might's layup with 16 seconds left lifted SV to a 41-39 victory over the Titans at William Paul Gymnasium.

“A win is a win is a win,” a relieved Giannotta said after the game. “Shaler (8-11, 2-8) was fighting for their proverbial playoff lives tonight and it was Senior Night here. I think our guys came out a little tight, but I'm proud and happy for our seniors. Thirty years from now, they won't remember the final score, but they'll remember that we beat Shaler on Senior Night.”

One of those seniors, forward Dalton Peffer, had given the Raiders a 39-37 lead with his putback with 41 seconds remaining. Jesse Tavella answered for the Titans with a pair of free throws 11 seconds later. Giannotta then called a timeout to set up the winning sequence.

“The play was actually designed for Chris (Hart),” said Might. “He drove toward the basket and flipped it to me. It was a tough night all around, but that shot helped to end it. It was a great win.”

The Titans had a chance to win or at least tie the game in the final seconds, but Mekhi Reynolds missed a 3-pointer and Peffer grabbed his 15th rebound of the night.

Seneca Valley led 18-15 at halftime and both teams continued to struggle offensively well into the third period. The score was knotted at 22-22 with a minute left in the quarter when David Ritchie began a string of 3-point plays for the Raiders. He drained a pair of treys before the end of the period as SV led 28-25 with eight minutes left in the game.

Then with 29 seconds gone in the fourth, Peffer completed a conventional 3-point play and Hart sank a bucket for a 33-25 edge. But led by Reynolds, who scored seven of his team-leading 14 points in the final quarter, Shaler would come back to tie the game.

Even with his team's improved shooting in the fourth, Giannotta knows his team was fortunate to win a game in which it shot 27 percent (13-of-47) from the field. That included 4-of-19 from beyond the arc.

“I didn't have a problem with our shot selection tonight, but we will be in the gym shooting tomorrow,” he said.

Ritchie scored 15 points to pace the Raiders while Peffer added a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds.

SV's win, coupled with North Allegheny's loss at Butler Tuesday, has pushed the Raiders (11-7, 4-5) into a playoff spot for the time being.

SHALER 39

Kiki Agbale 4 2-9 10, Luke Grunden 1 0-0 3, Kevin McHale 1 0-0 2, Mekhi Reynolds 4 4-4 14, Jesse Tavella 2 2-2 7, Matt Tavella 1 0-1 2, Matt Bendel 0 1-2 1, Luke Bebout 0 0-0 0, Justin DeSabato 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 9-18 39.

SENECA VALLEY 41

Jake Bunofsky 1 0-0 2, Chris Hart 4 0-1 9, Marcus Might 1 0-2 2, David Ritchie 4 4-4 15, Dalton Peffer 3 7-10 13, Josh Rupert 0 0-0 0, Gabe Lawson 0 0-0 0, Mason Bush 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 11-17 41.

Shaler 10 5 10 14 — 39

Seneca Valley8 10 10 13 — 41

3-point goals: Shaler 4 (Reynolds 2, J. Tavella, Grunden); Seneca Valley 4 (Ritchie 3, Hart).

Friday: Seneca Valley at Pine-Richland