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The Arcata Tigers closed out the West Coast Jamboree girls basketball tournament with two straight wins as they continue to build for their upcoming Big 5 conference schedule.

The Tigers, who tip off conference play at Del Norte next week, finished 2-1 in tournament play and are now 9-5 on the season.

And head coach Charlie Espinoza is happy with where his team is right now.

“We are continuing to build our identity and leaving our imprint on any gym we go to,” he said after a 57-50 win over Lick-Wilmerding in Monday’s tourney finale. “I’m extremely blessed to be the coach of this group of kids.”

Several players continue to impress for the Tigers, who will be considered one of the frontrunners for this season’s Big 5 championship, including juniors Mae and Tae Wolford.

Mae scored a team-high 20 points in Monday’s win, while her twin sister Tae added 14 points.

Senior Mayleah Jackson also had a good game and chipped in 11 points.

The win secured the consolation championship in the tournament turquoise bracket.

In earlier tournament games, the Tigers lost to Freedom 61-44 in Friday’s opening game, before bouncing back with an impressive 60-51 win over a quality University team on Saturday.

The Arcata players were unable to take advantage of their opportunities against Freedom.

“We missed a gross amount of layups in that game,” Espinoza said. 

Tae Wolford led the Arcata offense with 13 points.

Saturday’s game against University was a different story, as the Tigers quickly bounce back with a more composed performance.

Mae Wolford finished with a double-double in the win, scoring a team-high 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

“We brought the intensity and saw a lot of composure down the stretch,” the head coach said.

Jackson added 15 points as she continues to play a key role for the team, while Tae Wolford chipped in 14 points.

Next up, the Tigers will play at Pleasant Valley on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. before opening conference play at Del Norte next Wednesday night.