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Published on 02/09/1998 All articles from this issue

Los Altos High runs out of miracles

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By Pete Borello / Town Crier Staff Writer

Girls hoop scoop

Lancers slip past Paly

St. Francis edged host Palo Alto 51-49 Feb. 11 to remain a game and a half behind first-place Monta Vista in the SCVAL De Anza Division.

The Lancers improved to 7-2 in the division and 15-8 overall.

Whitney Barker led St. Francis with 11 points and Dokesha Meachum added 10.

Spartans eliminated

Mountain View's 54-39 loss at Fremont Feb. 11 officially eliminated the Spartans from playoff contention.

Mountain View sunk to 3-8 in the SCVAL El Camino Division (8-14 overall) with three games to play. Teams need at least a .500 record in league or overall to qualify for the postseason.

Kristi Nakano led the Spartans with 16 points against Fremont and Toccara Lee put in 12.

Mustangs riding high

Homestead stayed in the league title hunt with a 44-39 home win against Los Gatos Feb. 11. This upped the Mustangs' record to 8-2 in the SCVAL De Anza Division and 16-7 overall.

The only team with a better league mark than Homestead was Monta Vista at 9-1.

Los Altos resident Shelly Mellberg paced Homestead with 13 points and Michelle Wald had 12. Julie Speckels, another Los Altos resident, scored 10 points.

Titans triumph

Gunn went to 6-5 in the SCVAL El Camino Division by defeating visiting Milpitas 45-42 Feb. 11.

Correnda Perkins led the Titans (11-10 overall) with 21 points. Jacqueline Heler contributed 12 points.

To make the playoffs, Gunn needs to win one of its final three games.

Panthers win big

The Los Altos High girls basketball team's streak of improbable comeback wins against Saratoga has ended at two.

The league-leading Falcons made sure of that with a 52-42 victory at Los Altos Feb. 11.

Earlier in the season the Eagles rallied from a 16-point deficit to hand Saratoga its first league loss. Last year Los Altos overcame a 28-point hole to beat the Falcons.

But Saratoga refused to fold like a card table in last week's contest.

Every time the Eagles threatened, the Falcons responded.

Saratoga trailed only once all night - and that was in the game's opening minute. Los Altos took a 2-0 lead when guard Christina Fonseca drove left for a layup on the Eagles' first possession.

The Falcons, behind a pair of three-pointers by Jen Chan, slowly built a lead from there and were ahead 19-11 after the first quarter.

Los Altos started to show signs of life in the second period. Standout forward Jenn Santos muscled her way inside for two quick baskets early on. Center Mariah Pospisil swished a jumper from the right baseline, barely beating the shot clock. And Fonseca nailed a three-pointer with 2:50 left to slice the Saratoga lead to 26-21.

But Los Altos would score just one more point before intermission - on a Samantha Quintero free throw - and went into the locker room down 29-22.

Offense - or lack of it - haunted Los Altos the rest of the way. The Eagles didn't hit one perimeter shot in the second half. Six of their shots didn't even reach the rim, including three in a row during an ugly stretch in the fourth quarter.

"We were missing the whole backboard at times," said Los Altos coach Bernie Quintero. "It's hard to win when you shoot like that."

Los Altos received little help from its bench, which failed to score a point. All 42 of the Eagles' points were provided by four players: Santos (14), Fonseca (14), Pospisil (13) and Quintero (1).

The Eagles, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, shot 36.2 percent for the game.

The loss dropped Los Altos to 5-6 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division and 9-12 overall. To qualify for the playoffs, the Eagles would need to win two of its final three games.

And in other local girls basketball games last week:

Host Pinewood continues to destroy Private Schools Athletic League opponents, whipping Woodside 96-19 Feb. 10.

Kacey Scheppler guided the Panthers with 34 points and eight three-pointers.

Alex Cribbs scored a career-high 30 points and Lauren Smith-Hams had nine points and 14 assists.

The Panthers (9-0, 21-3) played Redwood Christian for the league title last Friday night in Los Altos Hills.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Coaches are urged to call in their scores after each game. To do so, call the Town Crier at 948-9000, ext. 315.