Girls’ basketball, 19–9 overall, is heading to semifinals of the CIF Open Division L.A. City Section Championships with state tournament qualification on the line.

The Gondoliers will face Westchester tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Pasadena City College.

“I think our season has gone very well,” said Dominick Flores. “It’s probably one of our best seasons in school history.”

The team finished tied for second in the Western League, which is their highest finish in years and secured major victories along the way.

“Being able to beat Palisades and Hamilton was huge,” Flores said. “Over the season, we’ve gotten better and better. We’re really starting to peak now.”

That growth was especially clear in their playoff triumph over Granada Hills.

“We were so locked in,” Flores said. “In practice, we were locked in. The intensity level was great. When Granada Hills put pressure on us, we rose to the occasion. I was very, very impressed with how we did.”

The upcoming game against Westchester presents a tough challenge. In their first meeting, the Gondoliers lost 59-48 December 18. The second matchup was more difficult, as the Comets defeated the Gondoliers 83-44 January 28. But Flores believes his team is capable of competing at that level.

“If we go in with a strong, positive mindset, it could be anybody’s game,” he said. “We’ve proven that we can play with them. They’re good, but I think we are right there with them.”

Senior Remy Castillo, a co-captain with sophomore Leah Matsubayashi, said the team’s improvement this year has been the biggest difference.

“Overall, I feel like we haven’t really finished our whole season yet. Our league season is over, but our actual season is still going,” Castillo said. “I feel like we did so much better this year. We’ve really improved over the last few years, especially this year with a huge jump in progress.”

She also credits the team’s development on both ends of the floor.

“With our new offenses and defenses, we’ve grown a lot. Overall, we’ve really improved as a team and as players,” she said.

Chemistry has also played a major role in the team’s success. Castillo highlighted the connection between teammates freshmen Amiya Aldridge and junior Brenda Dunbar .

“Brenda just goes to the hoop, and Amiya is always ready to pass and make plays,” she said. “They have really good chemistry.”

Flores agrees that the team’s unity has been key.

“The girls are great,” he said. “Their attitudes are great, and they genuinely play for each other.”