Basketball Recap: Arcata Comes Up Short

Arcata was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They were a single point away from ending the streak, but they lost a 62-61 heartbreaker at the hands of the Del Norte Warriors. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Warriors apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in January of 2025.

Luke Lemke

Points

01/06/26 @ Del Norte	28
12/26/25 vs Marin Catholic	17
12/20/25 vs Eagle Point	26

When it comes to explaining why Arcata lost, don't look at Luke Lemke. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Lemke's evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 17 points. Another player making a difference was Elias Gomez, who went 6-for-14 en route to 16 points along with five boards and three blocks.

Del Norte's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ty Blue, who dropped a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Those 19 points gave Blue a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Justin Cushman, who shot 83% from the field to rack up 14 points and five assists.

Arcata's defeat dropped their record down to 6-12. As for Del Norte, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 14-4.

Arcata wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 71-53 win against Fortuna on the 8th. As for Del Norte, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 61-52 loss against McKinleyville on the 8th.