When push came to shove Thursday, Riverside’s girls basketball team was able to stay a step ahead of visiting Waynesfield-Goshen.

The Pirates were able to hold on down the stretch for a 55-51 Northwest Central Conference victory.

Riverside (2-2) used a big second quarter to take the lead at halftime. The Pirates never trailed in the second half.

 “Our girls are beginning to play situational basketball,” said Riverside head coach Dean Sanford. “They know their roles and play their roles and we are heading in the right direction. It was a great team effort and I am very pleased.”

W-Goshen led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter, but Riverside stepped up play on both sides of the ball in the second quarter and went on a 13-3 run. That gave the host a 27-21 lead at halftime.

“The second quarter was a turning point in the game,” said Sanford. “It was really a competitive and intense game. I knew Waynesfield-Goshen would give everything they had and they did.

“It just seemed that we made the big buckets when we needed to. They would get within two or three points of us and we’d make a crucial basket.”

The Tigers clipped RHS 16-15 in the third quarter, but the Pirates still maintained a 42-37 advantage.

W-Goshen got within one point (42-41) with 7:09 left in the game, but that would be as close as the Tigers would get.

“When it was 42-41 we started to try and force things and were a little tired,” said Sanford. “But the girls battled their way out of it and settled down.”

Amelia Carter and Erica Snapp both came through for the Pirates Thursday. Snapp tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, while Carter had 18 points and two steals.

“Amelia got into some foul trouble, but we knew she would get her points,” said Sanford. “But for Erica to step up and attack the basket the way she did was great. She is getting better and better each time she steps on the court.”

W-Goshen won the junior varsity game 38-34. Christina Longbrake led the Pirates with 10 points and Taylor Covault added six points.