The Los Banos High School girls basketball team delivered a sterling performance, defeating its determined cross-town rival Pacheco High School 48-40 in a non-conference matchup on Jan. 3. The intense competition took place at Pacheco High School, with the home team ultimately falling short despite its valiant efforts.
The Panthers struggled running its half-court offense the whole night. The team was relying on pushing the ball in fast breaks, but Los Banos quickly picked up on it.
“We did well running our press break and getting the ball up the floor. We struggled with running our half court man offense. We will continue to improve by putting in time and effort at practice and continue to game plan for any opponent that we face in the future,” said captain Sasha Siemiller.
For Los Banos, its strength was its ability to defend the ball. Pacheco could not find the answer.
“Some things that our team did well on were the assists and play making. There are certain dynamics within each player and it really shows on the court. Another thing is communication. We all communicate well on the court, hype each other up, point out things we can fix, and all these things make a huge difference,” said Sienna Freitas.
Pacheco had previously suffered a loss to East Union High School on Dec. 31, with a score of 38-58. Despite this setback, the team demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination against Los Banos. However, it was unable to overcome the deficit, ultimately falling to the Tigers’ relentless pressure. Pacheco was led by freshman Mary Tava who recorded 15 points and 4 blocks.
The Los Banos team showcased exceptional teamwork, strategic play and impressive individual performances. Los Banos was led by junior Kanin Welch who had 17 points and 12 rebounds and sophomore Siena Freitas who recorded 16 points.
