JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley boys basketball team managed its second straight spirited comeback.

And, for the second straight game, it wasn't enough.

With 40 seconds remaining in Tuesday night's home game against Shaler, the Raiders trailed 47-40.

But SV (8-6, 2-4) reeled off six points in 16 seconds to pull to within 47-46.

Two free throws each from Shaler's Dan Wirkowski and Eddie Sauer gave the Titans a 51-46 lead with 8.1 seconds remaining.

C.J. Brown gave the Raiders hope with a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining. He then stole the inbounds pass at midcourt and put up a desperation 3-pointer that would have won the game, but the ball bounced off the top of the backboard and Shaler escaped with a 51-49 Section 3-AAAA victory.

"It was another war," said Shaler coach Howie Ruppert. "There are no easy wins in this section."

Though the score remained close the entire game, Seneca Valley never led in the second half.

Last Friday night, SV was down by 18 points in the fourth quarter to North Hills before cutting the deficit to five points. The Raiders lost that game, 56-47.

"We just can't get over the hump," said Raiders coach Vic Giannotta.

In the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game, the Raiders were 1-of-6 from the free throw line while the Titans were 7-of-8.

Sauer scored only six points in the game but was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

Wirkowski was 4-of-5 from the line.

"You can't win close games without free throws, and Eddie and Dan did the job for us tonight," said Ruppert.

"This game looks like it came down to one last possession," said Giannotta. "But what about the first and second quarter when (Shaler) was getting offensive rebounds and putbacks because our guys weren't boxing out?

"Our players have to learn that every possession is valuable," he added.

Brown and senior guard Pat Heery carried the offense for the Raiders, scoring 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Trailing 34-29 entering the fourth quarter, Brown (nine points) and Heery (eight) combined to score all but three of SV's 20 points in the period.

But no other player for the Raiders scored more than four points in the game.

Shaler shot 18-of-35 from the field for 51 percent while SV was 19-of-51 (37 percent).

Wirkowski led the Titans (12-3, 4-1) with 18 points while teammate John Litwin added 13.

Shaler has won four straight games and seven of its last eight.

SHALER 51Dan Wirkowski 7 4-5 18, Eddie Sauer 0 6-6 6, Matt Pendleton 4 1-2 9, Jimmy Kohan 2 1-3 5, John Litwin 5 3-6 13, Ben Altmeyer 0 0-0 0, Kevin Barry 0 0-0 0.

Totals: 18 15-22 51.

SENECA VALLEY 49Gabe Grinder 1 1-2 4, Kevin Mayberry 1 0-2 2, Tony Treser 1 0-0 2, Kevin Rohm 0 2-4 2, Pat Heery 7 1-2 16, John Fitzpatrick 1 2-2 4, C.J. Brown 8 2-2 19, John Bryant 0 0-0 0, Shawn Eagle 0 0-0 0, Jarrett Shotts.

Totals: 19 8-14 49.

Shaler 13 10 11 17—51Seneca Valley 9 12 8 20—493-point goals: Shaler x (; Seneca Valley 3 (Grinder, Heery, Brown)

JV: Seneca Valley 55-46 (SV-Tony Treser 23 points)

Tuesday: Fox Chapel at Seneca Valley