Girls basketball wins in a close match against Castro Valley

The varsity girls basketball team wins their fourth match of their season

Staff Writer

On December 13th, the varsity girls basketball team claimed a thrilling home win against Castro Valley High School, narrowly winning with a final score of 56-50.

Heading into the game, the Eagles knew they would face a challenging team. “Castro Valley’s team definitely outsizes us: they have players over six feet tall and even their smaller players outsize our guards,” said Leann Wang (11) in a pre-game interview. “They are a very strong team so we are going into this game expecting to play tough defense and aggressive offense.”

The team’s coach Keith Ramay paralleled similar ideas. “We’ve scouted Castro Valley over multiple games and their offensive action has been giving people a lot of problems,” he said.

Castro Valley opened the game by winning the tip-off and making a three-pointer. American responded with aggressive defense and rebounds, led by Wang and Shirina Shi (10), whose sharp passes set up key scoring opportunities. Despite Castro Valley’s strong ball pressure, American pushed forward, finding cracks within Castro Valley’s defense to score points, and garnering a 15-8 lead by the end of quarter one.

Despite it being American’s first home game of the season, the team came well prepared to handle the unpredictability of Castro Valley. “Ever since we lost the championship game [last season], every practice has been about rebounding, movement on defense—five-star defense—and communication,” said Shi.

Shirina Shi (10) as she finds a break in Castro Valley’s defence and runs for the opportunity (Photo Credit: Yashuj Kansal (11)).

These skills were on full display in quarter two, as American gained a 9 point lead by halftime. The Eagles continued to dominate offensively, showcasing their teamwork and determination around the court. While the team missed several shots, they remained persistent, grabbing rebounds and quickly transitioning back into productive offensive plays.

However, the third quarter proved to be a turning point as Castro Valley roared back into the game, with their team scoring over 10 points in quick succession. The Eagles tried their best to keep up, taking seconds to route the ball around the court and maneuver, but Castro Valley’s adrenaline never wavered. The quarter ended at 42-41; Castro Valley scored 23 points in the entire quarter.

During the break, Ramay motivated his team. “I told them that if we continued to play [defense] and we continued to do the things that we had done well in the first half, that we would pull through. I cracked a joke and then we went back out and played good ball,” said Ramay in a post-game interview.

Entering the fourth quarter, Castro Valley scored a quick three-pointer, leading 42-44. Yet even as they were down and Castro Valley started showing aggression, American’s defense tightened up and their offense found new ways of shooting the ball, with their agility and rebounding complimenting the offensive surge. Soon enough, they had regained their lead and cemented themselves as the victors of the game, earning their fourth victory of the season, 56-50.

This game was characteristic of what their season has become: close games ultimately resulting in a victory.