The girls’ varsity basketball team defeated the Wallenberg Bulldogs 53-32 in its semifinal game on Tuesday to advance to Friday’s AAA championship game against the Washington Eagles.

The Bulldogs proved to be tough competitors. Despite getting overwhelmed by the Cardinals in their regular season games, the underdog team put up a determined offense that penetrated the Cardinals’ inconsistent defense and held them to a tight 18-12 lead at halftime. The Cardinals, although in the lead for the majority of the time, did not assert control over the Bulldogs until the third quarter when Wallenberg’s star senior guard Andrea Mochida limped off the court with a knee injury. With the Bulldogs’ roster reduced to six players, the Cardinals were able to break away late in the game to end with a 21-point victory.

Last Friday the Cardinals dominated the Mission Bears in an overwhelming 58-18 trampling. Lowell’s defense was strong throughout the game, and prevented the Bears from scoring a field goal until the third quarter. Senior guard and co-captain Tiffani Pak led scoring with 12 points.

Come cheer on the Cardinals at 5 p.m. tomorrow at the Kezar Pavilion as they battle the Washington Eagles for the AAA title.