Senior shooting gaurd Amanda Chow dribbles past two Mustang defenders on her way to the basket. The Cardinals trampled the Mustangs 73-63. Cassandra Liu
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Dribbling down the court and leaving opponents in the dust, the Lady Cardinals rebounded from the previous year’s loss and triumphed over the Lincoln Mustangs by focusing on teamwork and defense, reclaiming their title as city champions.
On March 5, the Cardinals clashed with the Mustangs at Kezar in the championships. With adrenaline and sheer anticipation pumping through their veins, the girls stayed confident throughout the game, winning by a close score of 73-63. According to senior co-captain and guard Kristina Lum, when the Cardinals entered the championships certain the team had the ability to win, but were careful not to underestimate the Mustangs’ strength. “We actually had a slow start and Lincoln was ahead for a majority of the first half, but we just kept playing hard and never gave up,” Lum said.
During the 3rd quarter, the Cardinals came out in the lead and pulled ahead after the Mustangs became worn down and started shooting poorly. Taking advantage of the Mustangs’ spent stamina, the Cardinals kept the lead. “Everyone stepped up in the championships and contributed to the win,” senior co-captain guard-forward Rachel Baskin said. “Erin Ng made a jumper after dislocating her shoulder a few days earlier, and still played hard.”
During the semifinals against Washington on March 2, the team showcased their ability to make a full team effort on the court, blowing out the Eagles 60-29. In the second half the Cardinals worked hard to keep the ball in their possession. At one point, junior guard Tiffani Pak dove for the ball and rolled it to freshman center Lorna Tu’ufuli, who passed it to Lum, who in return fed the ball to Baskin, who made the lay-up. When the 3rd quarter hit, the Cardinals consecutively made crucial three pointers, which allowed them to get the breakaway lead.  “We were dedicated to showing that we could play at our highest level,” Pak said. “We never let our guard down during the game and we were rewarded because of it.”
On Feb. 26, the Cardinals met the June Jordan Jaguars for the playoffs. Although the Cardinals had smashed the Jaguars 63-33 earlier at the season game, the Jaguars had improved, giving the Cardinals a tougher time than expected. “We had to tighten up our defense and maintain composure throughout the game to pull out with a victory,” junior guard Erin Ng said. 
Although the team is losing key players and co-captains Lum, Baskin and Amanda Chow, the team will still have the powerful Tu'ufuli and the dedicated Ng. Next year’s team is sure to continue to put their all into the game and remain focused on the key idea of defense, hopefully to win another championship.

Most Valuable Players 
The Lowell chooses senior co-captains Kristina Lum, Amanda Chow and Rachel Baskin as Most Valuable Players. During the Cardinals’ perfect 13-0 season, the collective efforts of the co-captains kept the team focused on their road to the championships.  
With Lum and Chow starting on varsity during their freshman year and Baskin joining them her sophomore year, the trio led the team to victory, each contributing different strengths to the team. “Kristina leads by example,” Pak said. “Even when we make our mistakes, she never gets on us or yells. She takes in the ball and forces a foul or makes the lay-ups that show us how we should be improving our own game. Rachel always stays supportive of the team by pushing us to our limits and Amanda inspires us by squeezing through defenders.”

Senior shooting gaurd Amanda Chow dribbles past two Mustang defenders on her way to the basket. The Cardinals trampled the Mustangs 73-63. Cassandra Liu
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