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Published on 06/09/1999 All articles from this issue

West San Jose All-Stars crowned national champions

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Town Crier Staff Report

The West San Jose All-Stars, a team of 13- and 14-year-old girls from Los Altos and nearby cities, recently claimed the National Junior Basketball national championship tournament in Los Angeles.

Los Altos residents on the team included Ragini Shyam and Marissa Kraines. Shyam attends Blach Junior High and Kraines is a student at Cupertino Junior High.

West San Jose, under coach Joe Erly, went undefeated in two double-elimination tournaments on its way to the national crown. The team first won the South Bay Sectional, knocking off teams from Coyote Creek, South San Jose and Berryessa.

From there, West San Jose traveled down south for the national tourney. The squad won its first two games by a margin of 25 points, allowing all 11 players a chance to shine.

Things got tougher in the third game, though, as West San Jose eked out a one-point victory over Vacaville in the final seconds. The team's ability to make pressure free throws down the stretch proved to be the difference.

This put West San Jose in the finals against a team from Hayward. The game was close throughout, but West San Jose never lost the lead and went on to win by three points.

National Junior Basketball is a competitive league for girls and boys in third to eighth grades. More than 50,000 kids from California and five other western states compete in the league.

Los Altos is part of the West San Jose chapter of the league's South Bay Section. For postseason competition, each chapter selects an all-star squad from amongst its teams.