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Published on 02/17/1997 All articles from this issue

Spartans gearing up for Fremont

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By Andy Nystrom

Town Crier Staff Writer

Mountain View boys basketball

When Coach Craig Ellegood smirked "maybe it's good that we lost" after Mountain View High's setback to Homestead last Wednesday, there was a good reason behind the remark. Motivation.

And the Spartans will need plenty of it heading into tonight's 7 p.m. away matchup with Fremont. Both teams are atop the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division table with 8-2 records, and Fremont has momentum on its side following an earlier-season win over Mountain View.

But this time out, the Spartans have a better idea of how to knock off Fremont, a team Ellegood used to coach.

"We need a little more consistency. And we need to execute - we're very up and down," the coach said following the 29-27 loss to last-place Homestead. "Tonight we weren't ready to play, and it cost us. We seem to take things for granted."

Mountain View trailed 16-10 late in the second quarter, but cut Homestead's lead to two at the half with a pull-up jumper and layin from Jason Bull.

Bull also played excellent defense, stealing two passes in the fourth quarter to get Mountain View back in the game. With three minutes to go, the 5-foot-10 senior broke up a Homestead two-on-one break, which set up a Larry Baluyot layin to tie the score at 27-27.

However, Homestead went ahead 29-27 with 30 seconds to go, leaving Mountain View to scramble for the equalizing basket. The Spartans missed a shot, stole an inbounds pass and finally found the hoop - just after the buzzer had sounded.

Bull led Mountain View with 10 points, Seth Greenstein had seven (including a pair of crucial jump shots down the stretch) and Baluyot added five. Sean Coonce also played well under the hoop, notching three consecutive rebounds during one offensive sequence.

Like Ellegood, senior guard Baluyot knows what it will take for the Spartans to down Fremont, who were 40-39 victors last time.

"We need to hustle and play hard," he said. "We need to pass the ball down low to Coonce and Bull to post up shots. And the defense needs to double team (their big scorer).

"We're together as one team, not like last year. We know how to get the job done."

Remaining Mountain View games:

Wednesday - 7 p.m. at Fremont

Friday - 7:30 p.m. at Saratoga

CCS playoffs - Rounds one and two, Feb. 25-27

Quarterfinals, Feb. 26 and March 1

Finals, March 7-8