Arcadia Glides Past Burbank for 10th Straight Win
By Aaron Valdez
It’s no secret that Arcadia girls’ basketball has got something special going on this season as the team enters the final stretch.
What’s even more impressive is that despite compiling a conservative 12-13 record last year, the Apaches have come back full fore this time around. The team’s stellar play this season has taken Division 2A by storm as the Apaches were ranked No. 3 in the latest CIF rankings.
Tuesday night’s 59-47 win over Burbank marked Arcadia’s 10th consecutive victory, which is a streak that was started by defeating Burbank on Dec. 4 after losing to Orange Lutheran Nov. 30.
The latest game against the Bulldogs was a tight one in the early stages with Arcadia only holding a slim 11-10 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, once the Apaches have the advantage, they are extremely difficult to beat, as Burbank would soon find out.
Arcadia maintained a healthy lead throughout the rest of the contest thanks in large part to their dynamic duo of Sahana Saikumar and Ashley Sue, who combined for 35 points.
The Apaches eventually cruised to their 19th win as they also swept the season series against Burbank. The team’s record improved to 19-1 overall and 9-0 in Pacific League action.
On the season, Saikumar is averaging 15.3 points per game while Sue is averaging 15.1. Back when the Apaches demolished Hoover 82-12 on Dec. 7, Saikumar hit a milestone in which she reached her 1000th career point as a high school basketball player.
“Honestly, it felt surreal,” Saikumar said of her accomplishment in an interview with Arcadia Unified. “It’s just something you dream of ever since you were a little kid. It’s an amazing milestone, and to actually reach it is a blessing.”
Arcadia has five league games and two nonleague games left on its schedule with a very critical match coming up against Pasadena on Friday. The Bulldogs are currently in second place at 7-2 and will need a huge win over Arcadia to keep them within striking distance for the league title.