The Arcata girls lost a close one to Sir Francis Drake to open the West Coast Jamboree at Cornerstone Christian on Thursday.

Playing against a very big Drake team, the Tigers turned in a strong performance to open their post-Christmas schedule, and led late in the game before a couple of breakaway layups and some clutch free throws sealed a 55-48 win for Drake.

“We had a difficult time scoring, but our defense kept us in the game,” Arcata head coach Doug Oliveira said.

The game was delayed by over an hour and didn’t start until after 9 p.m.

Sophia Belton led Arcata with 14 points, while Kali Zanotti had nine.

“We played very well. In fact, I felt we dominated the game,” Oliveira said. “At least the pace.”

The Tigers (6-7) continue tournament play against Deer Valley, a Division-I school,  on Friday at 2 p.m.

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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.