The Seneca Royals girls basketball team journeyed down to Wauzeka-Steuben High School last Tuesday, Feb. 10 looking to extend their winning streak to three games. The Hornets had different ideas plans however and they defeated the visiting Royals 44-27.

Sophomore Lily Payne was the Royals leading score with eight points. Payne was followed by junior Emma Manning with seven points (and a team-high six rebounds), sophomore Grace Varo and senior Camryn Lenzendorf (three points each) and junior Rita Sime and seniors Aylah Baker and Dhyllan Kemp with two points.

The Royals hosted the La Farge/Youth Initiative co-op three nights later. Seneca claimed a 32-12 halftime lead before earning a 56-24 victory. Payne was once again the Royals leading scorer in the game, scoring 26 points thanks to going 8-for-14 on three-point shots. She also added six steals in the win. Senior Camryn Lenzendorf (nine points), Sime and Manning (six points each), Kemp (four points), Varo (three points) and freshman Sophia Clark (two points) rounded out the scoring log for the Royals. Sime also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Seneca improved to 7-11 overall and 3-5 in the Ridge & Valley Conference with the two wins.

The Royals end the final week of the regular season with a trio of games. Following games at Wonewoc-Center and La Farge/Youth Initiative this past Monday and Tuesday nights, the Royals head to Ithaca High School this Thursday night to face the Weston/Ithaca co-op in the regular season finale.

Seneca received the 11th seed in their half sectional bracket and will travel to sixth seed River Ridge on Tuesday, Feb. 24 for a D5 regional quarterfinal game. The winner advances to face the winner of the regional game between third seed Barneveld and 14th seed Black Hawk in the regional semifinal on Friday, Feb. 27.