The Arcadia Titans defeated their rivals, the Coronado Dons, 55-37 Friday in girls basketball at their home gym.

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Arcadia coach Ives Machiz said the Titans’ success came from a strong defense.

“We wanted to really push the tempo, to put a lot of pressure on the ball, to make them make mistakes and to capitalize on that, and that’s exactly what we did,” Machiz said.

The Titans scored the game's first six points and never trailed. They led 14-4 at the end of a quarter.

In the second quarter, the Titans played well offensively. They rotated the ball, looked for the open person inside and made smart passes. The Dons struggled to control the ball when it was in their possession, and the Titans opened a 33-13 lead at halftime.

The intensity level increased in the second half, and both teams spent a lot of their time on the ground fighting for jump balls. Both teams had over 10 fouls in the second half, and the Titans made six of their nine points in the third quarter at the free throw line. In the fourth, the Titans made four points from the free throw line, but were also able to sink three two-pointers.

“We came out with a lot of energy,” Machiz said. “It was a rivalry game, so we were amped up. We need to keep that level of intensity up.”

The Titans play Tuesday at Higley.