JACKSON TWP — This was a game the Seneca Valley girls basketball team would have lost in the past.

The Raiders built a lead, but watched it dwindle to four points after a sloppy third quarter.

Instead of folding, Seneca Valley went on an 11-3 run in the fourth quarter to hold off the North Hills Indians 51-40 Monday night.

“It seemed like every time North Hills made a run, one of our girls stepped up and made a shot,” said Seneca Valley coach Rob Lombardo. “That's what's been lacking the last couple of years. Now, we are answering the call. We backed it up and we made our free throws down the stretch.”

The Raiders (7-1, 1-1) already have matched their victory total from last season.

Two years ago, Seneca Valley won just two games.

Even after a win at home, the difference in attitude was apparent.

“We should be very happy with an 11-point section win. But their expectations are higher,” Lombardo said.

It was a win, but a sloppy one.

Seneca Valley committed 19 turnovers and spent the final three minutes of the third quarter trying without success to simply get the ball past half court.

That allowed North Hills (2-7, 0-3) to scratch back into the game, cutting the Raiders' lead to 36-32 after three quarters.

“That was the best quarter we've played all year,” said North Hills coach Tom Sandherr about his team's defensive effort after halftime.

But Seneca Valley made 9-of-13 free throws in the final quarter and survived.

The Raiders' defense had a big hand in that.

North Hills had 27 turnovers and shot just 32 percent from the field. The Indians also were just 3-of-11 from the free-throw line.

Early on, Seneca Valley hit big perimeter shots as North Hills focused on stopping the inside threats of Abby Trzeciak and Alex Karika.

Julia Vandrak and Amanda Geiger hit two big 3-pointers in the first quarter and Karlei Fronzaglio drained two from behind the arc in the second quarter.

“In the first half, we just didn't understand the transition, matching up with their guards,” Sandherr said. “We were late getting out there and they were knocking 3s down. It was deflating.”

Trzeciak still ended up with 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Karika led the Raiders in scoring with 13 points.

Fronzaglio added 11 points and Geiger nine in the balanced scoring effort for Seneca Valley.

“There are teams in this league who want to take away one player on every team,” Lombardo said. “Against us, you really can't take away one player when we have other girls stepping up and making shots.”

NORTH HILLS 40Emily Jamison 3-6 1-2 7, Melanie Lindsey 5-15 0-1 11, Carly Herr 3-13 1-4 7, Lexi Mary 1-2 1-2 3, Scout Cheeks 3-13 0-2 6, Kallie Harper 0-1 0-0 0, Lea Sullivan 3-6 0-0 6.

Totals: 18-56 3-11 40.

SENECA VALLEY 51Brooke Clifford 0-1 1-2 1, Julia Vandrak 1-2 0-0 3, Karlei Fronzaglio 3-3 3-4 11, Katie Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Mary Kate Fullerton 0-3 0-0 0, Amanda Geiger 2-5 4-5 9, Alex Karika 4-7 5-6 13, Abby Trzeciak 4-5 3-4 11, Kaitlyn Eagle 0-0 0-0 0, Meghan Hess 1-1 0-0 3.

Totals: 15-28 16-21 51.

North Hills 4 14 14 8—40Seneca Valley 11 14 11 15—513-point goals: North Hills 1 (Lindsey); Seneca Valley 5 (Fronzaglio 2, Vandrak, Geiger, Hess).

JV Score: Seenca Valley 49-36

Thursday: Seneca Valley at Shaler