Los Gatos shot down in shootout

Injuries, illness takes toll on Cats

By Dick Sparrer

No cowboy worth his salt would ever get involved in a shootout without having his gun loaded. But Los Gatos basketball coach Jim Marino found himself in just that situation last week, and his Wildcats turned out to be no match for the visiting desperadoes who came to town for the Los Gatos Lions Club Wildcat Shootout.

Marino would like to have loaded up the floor with a healthy band of shooters. But with two top players nursing ankle sprains, another player sporting a wrist injury and yet another player coming down with the flu, the offense that Marino hoped would be a six-shooter attack was limited at best.

Gatos lost 49-47 to Live Oak to open the Shootout, but then beat Leland 51-50 to move into the consolation championship round. But the Cats lost to Armijo 56-41 on the final day of the tournament.

Los Gatos started the tournament with a full squad, but Matt Gingery and Ben Winkelman played just a game before retiring for the week.

Gingery, a 6-foot-6 senior forward back for his third varsity season, was playing at only about 60 percent, according to Marino. The returning all-leaguer probably won't get back in action again until the Soquel Tournament Dec. 28-30.

Ben Winkelman, a 6-foot-3 senior center, saw limited duty against Live Oak, but is still hampered by a wrist injury suffered in the last football game.

Matt Swanson, a 6-foot-6 junior center, is back on the floor for the Cats after spraining his ankle, but Marino figures he is at just about 90 percent.

Carrying most of the load for the Wildcats at this point in the season has been 6-foot-4 senior forward Beau Knight. But after he had the finest night of his career against Leland, he came down with the flu the night of the Armijo game.

"I still think that we're going to be pretty good once we get past the injuries and illness," said Marino, whose club is off to a dismal 1-6 start in a year in which the Cats could well have been just the opposite of that at this point.

Despite their problems, the Wildcats played two very good games to open the tournament. The Cats lost by just a bucket to Live Oak in their opener, then beat Leland by a point a game later.

Ben Kane buried a jumper with 24 seconds to go to put the Cats ahead of Leland 51-50. The Chargers came down the floor and missed a shot at the lead and Swanson ripped down the rebound.

Leland fouled Swanson with 2.5 seconds remaining. He missed from the line, but the Chargers could only manage a desperation attempt at the buzzer.

Knight was on fire in the game. The senior was an impressive 11 of 15 from the field on his way to a 28-point night.

"That was probably the best game of his career overall," said Marino of Knight. "He had five threes and he scored on some post moves inside. Offensively he really did a job for us."

Knight also had a team-high eight rebounds and he dished off three assists for the Wildcats.

Swanson had seven points to go with seven rebounds. Kane popped six points and Alex Holcomb had five points, including a three.

Chris McMorrow added three points and Dan Kramer hit two to round out the scoring.

Knight tried to go a night later against Armijo, but he could manage just five points before leaving the game with the flu.

Holcomb stepped up to pitch in a team-high 13 points, including a three, and Kane popped 10 points for the Cats, hitting a pair of threes. Kane led the club with five assists and Holcomb had four boards.

"Holcomb came out and scored for us," said Marino.

Swanson had four points and five rebounds in the loss and Brandon Fong and Trent Edwards each hit a three-pointer. Nick Vizzusi had two points and Kramer added one.

"We had a tough time stopping Armijo," said Marino. "They have pretty good quickness."

The Wildcats lost a 49-47 heartbreaker to Live Oak to open the tournament.

"We had a chance," said Marino. "[Kane] had a jumper with five seconds to go."

The shot hit the front of the rim and Gingery rebounded. But the hobbled hoopster couldn't get a shot back up before the buzzer.

Knight had 16 points, including three threes, to lead the Wildcats. Gingery supported with 11 points, hitting one three, and Swanson had 10 points. Swanson and Knight had three rebounds apiece and Gingery grabbed three.

"He can't pivot," said Marino of Gingery. "He just can't go now the way he wants to go."

Marino is hoping that rest will help his star. Gingery will not play when the Wildcats host Leigh on Dec. 14, 7 p.m., and he won't play when the Cats compete in the Ed Hopkins Classic at Armijo in Fairfield Dec. 16-18. After that Gatos gets a much-needed week off.

Kane and McMorrow had four points each in the loss to the Acorns and Edwards added two points.

Saratoga beat Willow Glen 57-41 in the tournament championship game, and Gunderson topped Live Oak 56-52 in the third-place game.

Making up the all-tournament team at the Shootout were Micah Weger and Mike Crosby of Saratoga, Casey Keegan and Guy Beahm of Willow Glen, Wesley Williams of Armijo, Jason Harrison of Gunderson and Alex Navey of Live Oak.

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