The Cavaliers (1-0) started off the game with an 12-0 run and held on for a 66-58 non-league victory.

“You just can’t give teams that big of a lead and win ballgames,” said Riverside head coach Dean Sanford. “You take away that first quarter and we had a chance to win the game.

“I believe we have a really good ballclub to come back the way we did tonight. We were just making silly mistakes and turning the ball over early on.”

The Cavaliers ended the opening quarter ahead 20-5.

The Pirates showed some fight in the second quarter, led by Erica Snapp, who scored 13 points in the period. However, Riverside still trailed by 12 (40-28) at halftime.

Lehman began the third quarter much like the first by going on a 7-0 run to take a 47-28 lead.

Riverside wasn’t about to go away quietly, though. The Pirates went on a 16-6 run to end the quarter, making the score 53-44.

“Our first four possessions we could have scored, but we turned the ball over,” said Sanford. “I told the girls they had to keep plugging away and we started to get some momentum.”

In the fourth quarter, Riverside got within seven points, but that was as close as the Pirates would get.

The second-half surge by the Pirates was anchored by senior post player Amelia Carter, who scored 19 of her 25 points in the final two quarters.

“Amelia got really aggressive in the second half,” said Sanford. “Erica did a good job attacking their scheme and Brooklyn (Purtee) hit a big three-pointer for us in the second half. We just finally got the ball in the hands of the players we needed to get it in.”

Sanford hopes his team can learn from the season-opening loss.

“We have the talent, but we are still young,” he said. “We have to learn to play situational basketball. The girls have to identify what is coming at us and take care of the ball.”

Carter added 17 rebounds to go with her 25 points, Snapp finished with 15 points, three assists and two steals and Whitney Jenkins added six points and two steals.

Riverside hosts Houston in a non-league game on Thursday.