Despite their championship loss, the girls got some satisfaction when they pushed through a win against McClymonds by a score of 34-32 in the first round of the Northern California State Tournament on March 9. The next day, the tired Cardinals traveled to Sacramento where they were defeated 42-52 by a better-rested Kennedy team.

Coming into the championship game, the girls boasted a 15-0 win streak. In their last encounter with the Mustangs on Feb. 6, the team defeated Lincoln 49-48.  Unfortunately, the Mustangs avenged this loss, as well as their 46-48 defeat from last year’s championship game, with a decisive 48-37 victory in the championship. Although the Cardinals managed to limit Lincoln’s star guard Hallie Meneses to just 10 points, they were unable to stop Lincoln’s supporting players. The team also committed 28 turnovers, which led to over 20 points in transition for the Mustangs. “We did play good team defense in the first quarter, but once Lincoln picked up the momentum in the 3rd quarter, we definitely fell apart,” senior guard and captain Eryn Kimura said. “Our shots were off and our passes were intercepted every time.”

Not only did the loss to Lincoln bring the team’s impressive 15-0 winning streak to an end, but the girls also failed to continue their record of three straight city championships. “Honestly, I was pretty devastated because in last year’s championship game, we were able to pull out a win,” senior guard and co-captain Ashley Ong said. “We can’t win them all, hopefully it’ll be a lesson to the team next year.”

Before the championship, the team faced Washington in the semifinals where they defeated the Eagles by a score of 50-36 in a Battle of the Birds rematch on March 3. “We came out confident,” junior guard Kristina Lum said. “We knew that we just had to play hard throughout the whole game, we couldn’t let up.”

After finishing the regular season with an impressive 13-0 record, the girls entered the playoffs undefeated. On Feb. 27, they stretched their win streak to 14 games with a crushing victory over Marshall. The team played a solid first quarter with solid performances from senior post players Kenny Ludlow and Jessi Miao. The Cardinals did not waver and emerged victorious with a score of 66-27. “We needed the win,” sophomore guard Erin Ng said. “We knew it was another step closer to the championship, the ultimate goal.”

Despite the disappointing ending to this year’s effort, the team will continue to thrive next season under veterans like Lum as well as with new talent to varsity like Ng. Next fall, the team will continue to strengthen its solid defense while giving up fewer turnovers. By learning from their mistakes, the Cardinals will bring the championship back to Lowell!
Most Valuable Players

The Lowell’s choices for MVP are senior guards Ashley Ong and Eryn Kimura. As the captain of the team, Kimura was the source of leadership for the girls throughout the season. “She is the heart of the team,” Lum said. “She always motivates us and keeps us in check.”
Ong, a co-captain, also demonstrated leadership and has been one of the team’s best defenders. “She played a key role in the Lincoln games by guarding Hailey,” Lum said. “She doesn’t give up.” Both Ong and Kimura will be missed next season.