North Allegheny hosted the Seneca Valley Raiders at UPMC Court on Wednesday night in their Section 1-6A opener. The Tigers were down big at halftime, made a run in the second half, but ultimately fell 45-34.

Things were pretty tight in the first quarter as both teams felt each other out. Seneca Valley led 14-7 at the end of the opening frame. In the second quarter, NA would score the first basket of the period before the Raiders ripped off a 18-0 run that went into the third quarter to make the score 32-10.

North Allegheny responded with a 14-2 run of their own to cut the deficit to 34-23. Seneca Valley finished the quarter on a 6-0 run and led 40-23 going into the fourth quarter. In the final frame, the Tigers got it as close as 42-32 but the Raiders kept North Allegheny at arm’s length and NA fell 45-34.

Rosalia Varlotta led all scorers with 24 points. For her efforts offensively, along with on the glass and her defense, Varlotta was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.

North Allegheny falls to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in section play. Seneca Valley improves to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in the section. The Tigers return to action on Friday when they head to Howland, Ohio to take part in the Toni Ross Spirit Foundation Tournament. NA will take on St. Joseph’s Academy at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.