YLHS Women’s Basketball Season Recap

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Magic Moments Sports Photography

Yorba Linda Women’s Basketball Program has worked so hard to overcome any obstacle, and they hope to keep it up next season

Giana Mejia, Photojournalist
February 7, 2023

The Yorba Linda Women’s Basketball team has shown perseverance and grit throughout their entire season. They went undefeated in the North Hills League, going 6-0, which is the program’s second time in history. The team has an overall record of 17-7, and they showed resilience and fought hard through every game. They are headed to CIF in Division 3AA to compete with high-level competition teams.

 

The talented team is led by Coach Teiko Ikemoto, alongside Timothy Mann and Quianna Weakfield. The team captains are Kristi Ikemoto and Amy Martinez. The tenacious team includes 6 seniors, 1 junior, 5 sophomores, and 1 freshman. During the time they played together, the team has created a close bond, which reflects on the court. They play with amazing motor control and are defensive threats on the floor. With such passionate players, the Mustangs have continued to improve throughout the season. Coach Teiko Ikemoto comments, “The team chemistry is off the charts and is the closest team throughout all my coaching. They’ve improved a lot. The seniors have shown leadership. The girls are all way stronger and faster. The conditioning was huge taking their game to take their game to another level.”

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The team chemistry is off the charts and is the closest team throughout all my coaching.

— Teiko Ikemoto

 

In their first game of the season, the team played Cerritos at home on November 16, 2022, and they beat the 2022 CIF Division 3AA Runner-Ups 46-35. The girls grabbed rebounds, quickly moved the ball, and held the team to 35 points. Starting the season strong, the Mustangs proved their dominance on the court. 

 

In their first tournament, the Mustangs played at Valley Christian going 3-1, losing to a tough Cypress team. Even though they didn’t win, the girls showed their ability to create shots and get defensive stops. With Senior Nikki Villanueva receiving the “All-team” award.

 

Soon after the tournament, they received another loss to Valencia in a  32-33 game. After a tough first half, the Mustangs picked it up and got rebounds and defensive shots, which allowed them back into a close game. In the last minute of the game, the Mustangs were going at it, but the team’s efforts fell short by one point.

 

In their second tournament of the season, the Mustangs were short-handed but were able to clinch second place in the San Pedro Tournaments. Seniors Darby Nicholson and Nikki Villanueva were selected for All-Tournament. Following that, the girls faced a strong Lakewood team in the championship but fell short 23-58.

 

As they enter the Cross-League, the Mustangs had a rough start going into a 3-game losing streak. The girls lost to tough Century League teams such as Brea Olinda, Esperanza, and El Dorado, but they were able to bounce back going 7-0 and taking the North Hills League. The team worked together to start the games off strong and were able to adjust to any type of team they faced. In their last game of the regular season, the team faced Foothill on their senior night. After a close battle, the Mustangs proved victorious and were able to win 46-41.

 

The girls show their versatility and strength on the court, and they worked to play through any obstacle that comes their way. The Mustangs will continue their season to face Murrieta Valley in the first round of CIF. As a team, they hope to advance the season in the Division 3AA playoffs. They have worked together to secure a place in playoffs, and are now preparing to take the season even further.