By Jordan Hum| Copy Editor
On Feb. 10, the Gabrielino High School girls basketball team lost their first round CIF Southern Section Division 3AA matchup to Sunny Hills High School at home, 35-28.
Last year, the Eagles pulled off a scrappy playoff win against Charter Oak High School but fell in the second round to Pilibos Armenian School in Division 4AA. This year, the team moved up a division.
“We knew the competition was going to be tougher this year,” stated returning junior Sarah Banh. “So we really worked on our defense at practice.”
The energy was palpable in the elevated playoff atmosphere, as the game tipped off with both teams knowing they were in a win-or-go-home situation.
The Eagles immediately jumped out to a 5-0 lead as junior Mia Lim converted a tough and-one which was followed by a layup from junior Paris Ngeam. Gabrelino’s defense carried them to an 8-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Both teams struggled from the field, but Sunny Hills was able to overcome the initial five-point deficit, tying the game at 15-15 going into halftime.
“We actually had to practice with a different ball for [CIF],” stated Lim. “So that was an adjustment we weren’t really used to.”
In the third quarter, Sunny Hills exploded for 14 points as they took a commanding 29-21 lead. Gabrielino kept it close throughout the game but was never able to make a comeback, despite their best efforts.
In a game where points were at a premium, the Lancer’s’ ability to control the pace and the floor seemed to be the deciding factor.
Sunny Hills’ Erin Choi led all scorers with 13 points, while junior Maddie Chiu led the Eagles in scoring with 10 points. Ngeam finished with nine points and Lim tacked on eight points.
The loss marked the end of a solid season, in which GHS went undefeated in the Mission Valley League for a third straight year. The Eagles finished with an overall record of 17-3.
On Feb. 6, Gabrelino beat Mountain View High School, 37-7 at home on the Eagle’s Senior Night. The stands were filled with friends and families there to commemorate the senior players.
However, the game was forfeited by the Vikings in the third quarter due to a surplus of injuries on their team.
“I was really nervous about the game,” said senior Kristine Duong. “But I was actually pretty sad when the game was called short because I wanted to keep playing.”
On Feb. 1, GHS defeated South El Monte High School 69-13 at Gabrielino. The game was never in question as the girls took the lead from the jump and never looked back.
“We practice hard for our games to have scores like that,” said senior Kenya Benitez. “It’s nice to know that all the conditioning we do doesn’t go to waste.”
