Girls basketball wins after intense game with rival Beverly

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Samo defeated their rival, Beverly Hills High School, in the first game of the season. After an aggressive competition, Samo won 41-32.“We definitely didn’t anticipate this win. We’ve always had a rivalry with Beverley but they’ve gotten a lot better this year which made it more exciting and intense,” post Lily Aurbach (’19) said. The game started off very fiercely with both teams fighting for the first point. Although Beverly ended up scoring the first point through a foul shot, Samo managed to tie it with a three pointer. Between the first and second quarters, even the cheerleaders from both schools were competing to see which school had the loudest and most unified cheers.As the bell rang for the second quarter to begin, players scrambled to get ahold of the ball, with both teams stealing the ball from the other before it could even arrive at the other court. Due to the intensity of the audience and the history between the two schools, many players were nervous and failed to make free throws that were historically a given. With every point scored by Samo, the crowds cheered loudly.The difference gradually became larger between the two teams as Beverly began to fumble and drop the ball, giving the Vikings a chance to steal it. The Samo girls jumped at every pass, hoping to intercept. “[We widened the gap because] we picked up our defense’s intensity and it helped to have a great crowd at home. I think it was great to have them there, really cheering for us, and that was the part turning the scoreboards,” head coach Douglas Kim said. The third period started off 23-6 but Beverly quickly caught up as Samo slowed down. “We had enough points to win the game, you don’t need to push the ball like that. You want to limit the number of possessions,” Kim said. “I think we did a great job at controlling the tempo.”During the last quarter, both teams were fighting for every point and Beverly even resorted to pushing and attacking the Viking girls. With only 45 seconds left on the clock, and only a seven point difference, Samo became rushed and made small mistakes but continued to hustle after the ball, leading to their victory. “On the first half we really played well but second half [we didn’t play] as good defense, but the kids played with such heart and effort it’s hard to argue,” Kim said. Samo’s rivalry with Beverly played an important role in the Viking’s victory, making them more determined as it was also a matter of pride. “The rivalry between us made everyone on our team be more focused and pumped up to prove to the other team how wrong they were about us,” forward Demi Pacheco (’17) said.“The fans fuel us. We are their team and they are our family, so bring ’em out,” Kim said.