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The Arcata Tigers faced off against some tough competition in the Justin-Siena Christmas Classic this week in what head coach Charlie Espinoza described as a “great weekend of basketball and sisterhood.”

The Tigers opened the four-team round-robin tournament with a 62-57 win over Pinole Valley on Thursday and followed that with a 66-42 win over James Logan on Friday, before falling 64-53 to Justin-Siena on Saturday.

Arcata, Pinole Valley and Justin-Siena all finished 2-1 in tournament play, while James Logan was 0-3.

“Besides growing on the court, our team grew as a family this weekend,” Espinoza said. “The girls had a blast on the road trip and really had the opportunity to bond.

“This group of young ladies are on a great path. They are so passionate about growing in the game and playing our brand of basketball.”

Mae Wolford and Kyla Kinyon each posted double-doubles in Thursday’s win.

Wolford scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while Kinyon added 12 points and 12 boards.

Tae Wolford also had a good all-around game and finished with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

It was a good challenge for the Arcata girls.

“Pinole valley is a young high-intensity team that plays with an edge,” Espinoza said. “We handled adversity throughout the game and ended up winning.”

The performance against James Logan was even more impressive.

Espinoza described the Colts as a “solid team” that plays with a fast pace.

“Our defense was on point that game, so we rose to the occasion,” the Arcata coach said. “We played our best and most balanced game of the year.”

Sophomore Colby Eisner enjoyed a breakout game and finished with eight points and six rebounds.

“(She) showed me that she is more than ready to impact winning at this level,” Espinoza said. “(She) was a great presence within our sets, making the right reads, and she passed the ball extremely well.”

Mia Cueto finished with 11 points in the win, while Tae Wolford had 11 points and six rebounds and her twin sister Mae added 10 points.

Kinyon also continued her impressive tournament with eight points and six rebounds.

The Tigers, however, were unable to keep the momentum going in Saturday’s game against Justin-Siena.

“I was a solid game to watch, so the fans got their money’s worth,” Espinoza said. “But (Justin-Siena) showed a little more mental toughness and composure.”

Mae Wolford closed out three impressive days in tournament with another big game and finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and five steals, while Tae Wolford added eight points and seven rebounds.

Eisner chipped in eight points and six boards.

The Wolford sisters were both named to the all-tournament team.

“Huge shoutout to my coaching staff (Romeo Steele and Alyssa Guerrero),” Espinoza said. “Grateful for all the parents and community support.”

Saturday’s loss was just the second of the year for the Arcata girls, who are now 6-2.