Basketball Recap: Milly Castro Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences

Vaughn took a 28-point defeat the last time they faced off against Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Vaughn White Tigers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences Vipers on Saturday, sneaking past 41-39. That's more bragging rights for the White Tigers, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.

Vaughn's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Milly Castro, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 12 steals. Castro is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Estefany Contreras, who dropped a double-double on 19 boards and ten blocks.

When it comes to explaining why Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences lost, don't look at Lara Ledesma. Despite the final result, she posted 20 points. That was a full 51.3% of Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences' points, marking the 12th time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.

White Tigers

Previous 3 Games (Home)

02/01/25 vs Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences	41-39
01/30/25 vs East Valley	51-23
01/27/25 vs Fulton	38-22

Vaughn's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-12. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.0 points per game. As for Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost eight of their last ten matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-11 record this season.

The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: Vaughn beat Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences by a score of 37-24 on Monday.