Eisenhower got off to a slow start, which helped the Bobcats jump out to a six-point lead at the close of the first quarter.

The Knights began to press Seneca in the second quarter and it paid off as it caught Seneca off guard and allowed the Knights to take advantage of turnovers. The Knights found themselves up by three points just before halftime, but a foul call with .01 left on the clock allowed Seneca to tie it up at the half 24-24.

“I was really proud of how the girls battled back,” Eisenhower head coach DJ Steinberg said. “They did a great job on defense, Seneca was really frustrated with our press.”

The second half saw both teams pressing, but it was the Bobcats who benefited in the third quarter as they outscored the Knights 17-7 to take a 41-31 lead.

Eisenhower’s Clara Steinberg, left, and Lainey Belcher, right, force a Bobcat turnover in Thursday’s game. Times Observer Photo by Steve Younger

Eisenhower found itself in foul trouble in the fourth quarter and lost starters Samantha Childs and Clara Steinberg when they fouled out.

The Knights continued to press, but could not cut into the Seneca lead.

“I am proud of the girls’ efforts tonight,” Coach Steinberg said. “They battled hard and never gave up. Seneca’s defense is tough and we didn’t shoot particularly well. We certainly didn’t help ourselves once we got into foul trouble, but we were competitive against a bigger school, which is an accomplishment when you consider how young we are starting five sophomores.”

Eisenhower was led by Clara Steinberg, who led all scorers with 18 points. The Bobcats were led by Abby Hinds with 14 points.

SENECA (51)

Fiedtkou 2 1 5, Bleil 1 2 5, Kibbe 2 0 5, Zajac 0 0 0, Hinds 5 2 14, Dernar 1 0 2, Jefferson 0 0 0, Hammill 5 2 12, Farrell 2 4 8. Totals 18 11 51.

EISENHOWER (43)

Font 6 0 12, Childs 3 0 6, Belcher 1 2 4, Alcorn 1 0 3, Gates 0 0 0, Steinberg 5 6 18. Totals 16 8 43.

3-point goals–Bleil, Kibbe, Hinds 2, Alcorn, Steinberg 2.

Seneca 13 11 19 8 — 51

Eisenhower 7 17 7 12 — 43