The Los Ba&#241;os High girls sophomore basketball team tasted defeat for the first time this season in Central California Conference play.</p><p>After a lackadaisical first half, Los Ba&#241;os was forced to make a comeback, which didn't completely happen during a 38-33 loss.</p><p>"The girls came out flat in the first half," Los Ba&#241;os head coach Saul Mejia said. "We can't come out and spot a team 20 points and expect to comeback right away.</p><p>"We spent a lot of effort trying to comeback, and at the end we ended up getting a little tired and couldn't finish it off."</p><p>Atwater opened the game on a 14-6 run and went into the locker rooms leading 23-8.</p><p>Los Ba&#241;os, which fell to 7-1 in the CCC, outscored Atwater (6-2 CCC) by two points in the third quarter, which made it a 13-point ball game heading into the fourth frame.</p><p>Los Ba&#241;os freshman Alexis Barcellos (15 points) opened up the fourth with a trey, which was followed by a bucket from Morgan Hurley.</p><p>Hurley's score, which was assisted by Arianna Marshall, made it 28-20.</p><p>At the 5-minute, 45-seconds mark, Barcellos hit another triple that made it a 5-point contest.</p><p>"It felt like we forgot how to play basketball for the first 16 minutes," Mejia said. "The girls were a little overconfident -- and we needed this.</p><p>"We needed this to know that other teams are going to come after us.</p><p>"Give Atwater credit. They knew we were undefeated (in CCC) and they wanted to take us out."</p><p>Barcellos hit all four of her 3-balls in the final eight minutes, including a shot to make it 30-26. After that score, Barcellos came up with a steal and cashed in for two to make it 30-28 with a little over four minutes left to play.</p><p>Los Ba&#241;os, which went 1 of 10 from the free-throw line, missed its final five free throws of the fourth quarter.</p><p>Atwater struggled from the free-throw line as well, but it converted just enough down the stretch to hang on for the win.</p><p>"We outscored them 27-19 in the second half," Mejia concluded. </p><p>"We missed our free throws. With our ball-pressure and Alexis' clutch shooting it's a whole different ball game if we make out free throws."</p><p>Hurley finished with 6 points and Tiffany Liu had 2 points. Freshman Christina Soares finished with 10.</p><p>On Jan. 28, Los Ba&#241;os knocked off Golden Valley High of Merced, 43-28.</p><p>Soares led the team with 13 points, while Barcellos finished with 6. Felicia Peko tallied up 8, Liu 2 and Hurley added 12.</p><p>This Tuesday the Tigers will be at home to face Turlock High at 5:45 p.m.</p><p>To contact John-Joel Griffiths, e-mail jgriffiths@losba&#241;osenterprise.com or call 826-3831 ext. 565.