Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Addison Wingate in action for the Tigers on Thursday night.

By Ray Hamill — The Arcata Tigers moved within one win of playing for a NorCal championship in girls basketball after a gritty come-from-behind win in their quarterfinal on Thursday night.

The No. 2 seeds hosted a dangerous Mt. Diablo team at Arcata High and trailed for much of the night.

But with the game on the line late, it was the Arcata girls who dug deep and willed themselves to a 56-55 victory.

“We played our hearts out today,” head coach Charlie Espinoza said. “We knew what was on the line. It’s win or go home and I’m so proud of them. They work so hard all the time.”

There were several standout performances in the win, but no one player epitomized the team’s heart and never-say-die attitude more than junior guard Addison Wingate, who has been outstanding for the Tigers during their memorable playoff run.

Despite battling an injury late in the game, Wingate rose to the occasion once again and capped a brilliant week on the court with another outstanding display.

“Addison Wingate is just playing out of her mind the last couple of games,” Espinoza said. “She’s one of those players who’s always in the scrap. She never hangs her head and she plays the style of basketball we want to play. She’s tough, she’s hard-nosed and she gets it done.”

Twin sisters Tae and Mae Wolford also both had big nights in the win as they continue to play a hugely influential role for the team, as did senior Nora Talty, who rarely disappoints.

Tae and Mae each finished with a team-high 14 points while Talty added 12, including a pivotal 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter as the tide began to shift.

The Tigers trailed 18-9 after the opening quarter and Mt. Diablo held a steady eight or nine point lead throughout much of the game.

But the home team finally began to cut into the deficit late in the third quarter and closed out the period on a 10-4 run to leave them just one point adrift heading into the fourth.

Talty’s 3-pointer 20 seconds into the final period gave the Tigers a one-point advantage and an exciting finish saw the lead change hands multiple times as the two teams battled back and forth.

Talty added another key basket just moments later, while a Mae Wolford steal and layup midway through the quarter brought the home crowd to its feet.

Mae Wolford would add another key basket to give her team a three-point lead with 55 seconds remaining and the clutch Wingate would help seal the win after draining a couple of late free throws, just as she did in Tuesday’s state playoff win over Bear River.

Junior guard Mayleah Jackson also had a big night and did an excellent job distributing the ball and helping to set the tone for the late comeback. 

Afterwards, Espinoza also praised his assistant coaches — Eddy Vainuku, Luke Brownfield and Tameka Jackson — for putting the players in position to succeed.

“I want to give a shoutout to my coaching staff,” Espinoza said. “The people I have behind me do a great job.”

The victory sets up a home NorCal semifinal against No. 14 seed Notre Dame on Saturday night at 7.

A semifinal win could set up an all-local NorCal championship game against the No. 1 seeded St. Bernard’s girls, who also won their Division-4 quarterfinal on Thursday night, beating Lincoln 62-53.