ARLINGTON — The Arlington Eagles girls basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling to the Kamiak Knights, 51-48, on Jan. 15.

“They were ready for us, and they outworked us for three and a half quarters,” Arlington Head Coach Joe Marsh said. “And when that happens, it’s really tough to come back and win the game.”

The Eagles fell behind at the end of the second quarter, after a close first quarter.

Arlington attempted a comeback in the second half, but missed free throws cost them the game.

Kamiak, entering the game with a 5-3 conference record, had quite a bit to prove.

The Eagles started fast in the first quarter. Senior center Lyndsay Leatherman imposed her height under the hoop to get Arlington on the scoreboard first.

Leatherman was Arlington’s top scorer, with 17 points.

The Eagles’ defense was aggressive on the court. Sophomore forward Jayla Russ came up with a steal, disrupting the Knights’ scoring.

The Eagles jumped out to a 9-3 lead, but the Knights began catching up. It was goal-to-goal when the Knights began scoring again. Kamiak briefly took the lead, but a well-timed buzzer-beater by sophomore guard Sevi Biesler put Arlington back in the lead. Arlington led 17-16 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was intense, as both sides battled for possession, with turnovers happening back and forth. Leatherman did all she could to keep the Knights at bay, but Kamiak players were able to get around her.

The Eagles found themselves trailing 32-27 at halftime.

The Eagles had trouble during the third quarter, as Kamiak continued to outscore them. Kamiak forced too many turnovers, causing the Eagles to have their lowest scoring quarter in the game. The Eagles missed crucial shots and the third quarter ended 46-36 with the Knights in the lead.

In the final quarter, an Arlington rally was ignited when Balderas hit a three-pointer, making it a seven-point game.

The Eagles’ defense picked up, causing steals and turnovers, halting Kamiak’s score at 48 points, allowing Arlington to catch up.

Russ made it a one-point game when she converted for one at the free-throw line, bringing the score to 48-47.

The Eagles’ defense continued its effort, with Russ and Balderas getting steals and disrupting passes.

Arlington forced fouls and tried to get to the free-throw line, but so did Kamiak. The Eagles made frequent appearances at the line, but were unable to convert, missing game-changing shots. “We missed free throws and that’s the difference in the game,” Marsh said.

As of Jan. 18, Arlington’s record was 7-1 in the league and 12-1 overall.