The Arcadia High School (AHS) Girls Varsity Basketball team played against Pasadena High School (PHS) on Dec. 10 in the North Gym. The Apaches secured a powerful 59-29 win.

Prior to this game, the Apaches girls hadn’t won a game against the Pasadena Bulldogs for the past two years. But that didn’t stop AHS from facing them with spirit and energy right from the start. 

“Going into this game, I was really excited to show everybody what our team is about, especially because it was our first league game,” said senior Kaeden De Leon, “I knew we were going to come out with aggression, hype, and hustle.” 

In the first quarter, both teams played very strong. Junior Hailey Lam scored the first shot of the game, setting the tone for AHS to take the lead against PHS. The first quarter ended with a score of 12-8. 

In the second quarter, AHS put the pressure on PHS. Every time PHS had the ball, the Apaches consistently kept up their defense, blocking the Bulldogs’ passes and shots. By the end of the quarter, their lead was 32-12. 

“Our team prides ourselves on defense,” said De Leon. “We know that our energy and hustle on defense leads to good offense.” 

During the halftime break, the Apaches discussed their strategies for the next quarter while the AHS Pep Squad performed. 

In the third quarter, PHS managed to score some points on the Apaches, but not enough to narrow the lead between the two teams. AHS continued to score points, and the score at the end of the quarter was 44-19.

“Our team was super great at keeping the energy up during this game. This is an area where we definitely excel in, and there is never a time where we don’t have each other’s back,” said Lam. 

In the fourth quarter, the Apaches secured their win by scoring 15 more points, bringing the final score to 59-29. Multiple players’ performances led Arcadia to victory, and AHS Girls’ Varsity Basketball was all about team spirit. Throughout the entire night, members on the bench could be seen cheering on their teammates with tons of energy. 

“Every single player on our team plays a vital role, and our chemistry is only going to develop more,” said De Leon. “We play team ball.” 

This game showcased AHS’s Girls Varsity Basketball team’s strong defense skills and the girls’ powerful teamwork. It was a perfect balance of highlighting their individual skills as well as their overall dynamic with each other.