WILMINGTON — For the Lady Irish basketball team, the opening round of the Wilmington Class 2A Regional proved to be an uplifting experience. After suffering several tough losses late in the season, Seneca jumped out early on Somonauk on Wednesday to secure a 48-29 victory over the Lady Bobcats.

"That's definitely the best defense we've played in a while," Seneca coach Barb Beck said after the game. "That was nice to see, and we also attacked the basket."

Both were true and both resulted in a 13-4 lead by Seneca at the end of the first quarter. Chelsie McCormick and Danielle Hauch each scored four points to help build that lead.