Saratoga players surround this Willow Glen player in tournament play earlier this season. The Falcons took their show on the road to Canada for a tourney over winter break.




Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer







Saratoga basketball goes international

Falcons take part in Can-Am tourney

By Dick Sparrer

The season took on something of an international flavor for the Saratoga boys basketball team over winter break.

The Falcons entered their fourth tournament of the year just before Christmas, but this one was just a little different than the Cupertino, Los Gatos and Saratoga tourneys they had played in earlier in the year... this one was in Canada.

Saratoga took off for a Canadian vacation on the first week of winter break to compete in the Can-Am Christmas Classic in Victoria, British Columbia.

The Falcons won one of three games in the tourney, then returned home to beat Lambrick Park of Canada in a non-league game on Dec. 28. Saratoga pushed its season record at 7-7 with the four-game split.

Saratoga lost a 91-83 decision to Ladysmith in a high-scoring affair to finish the tourney after splitting its first two games--a loss to Oak Bay and a win over Reynolds.

Justin Zebb and Eric Lee tossed in 14 points apiece but the Falcons lost 68-62 to Oak Bay to open the tournament. Matt Ashburn buried a pair of three-pointers on his way to a 12-point night and Frank Wallace finished in double digits with 10 points.

Mark Elfving added five points and Chris Barrett hit two to round out the scoring for Saratoga.

Oak Bay, 13-4 for the year, opened up a 20-11 lead in the first quarter, and continued on to claim a six-point win.

Saratoga rebounded with a 76-57 win over Reynolds, 7-6 for the year. Ashburn was the scoring leader for the Falcons with 18 points, hitting a pair of threes among his eight field goals. Zebb finished with 15 points and also hit a three.

Lee supported with 12 points in the Saratoga win and Elfving added 10 points. Barrett and C.K. Kaplan popped six points apiece and Lawrence Hui and Aron Mitsunaga had four apiece.

Saratoga trailed 19-16 after a quarter, but outscored Reynolds 17-8 in the second to take a 33-27 lead at intermission. Then the Falcons bombed Reynolds 20-12 in the third and 23-8 in the fourth to coast to the win.

Nine players combined for 13 three-pointers in the high-scoring battle with Ladysmith, but the Falcons came up short 91-83.

Zebb led the Falcons with 27 points, including three threes, and Lee had a three among his 18 points. Elfving finished with eight points, Barrett seven, Ashburn, Mitsunaga and Hui five each, and Wallace and Kaplan four apiece. Ashburn, Hui and Mitsunaga each hit three-point buckets.

Ladysmith, 13-4 for the year, trailed 44-37 at the half and 65-60 after three periods, but outscored the Falcons 31-18 in the fourth to pull out the eight-point win.

Canada's Lambrick Park followed Saratoga home for a game after Christmas, and it was the Falcons battling from behind, then holding on for a tight 44-42 win.

Zebb had a big night for the Falcons with 16 points, including a three. Elfving supported with eight points, Lee hit seven, Ashburn had a three among his five points, Barrett popped four and Wallace and Hui added two apiece.

Lambrick Park, 15-5 this season, led by a point after a period, but trailed by one at the half. But the Falcons opened up a 36-26 lead after three quarters, then held on to win by two.

Saratoga will now prepare for league action. The Falcons open play in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League this week when they host Santa Clara on Jan. 3, 7 p.m., and visit Monta Vista on Jan. 5, 7:30 p.m.

Falcon girls fall

The Saratoga girls lost twice last week in the first two rounds of the Silver Creek Holiday Classic.

The Falcons lost their opener 41-31 to Lincoln, then fell 64-47 to Eastside Prep.

Saratoga trailed Eastside by four at the half, but outscored the prep school 13-10 in the third to cut the lead to one. But the Falcons were outpointed 23-6 in the final period and ended up losing by 17.

Tiffany Tan, a hot-shooting 5-foot-4 Saratoga guard, tossed in a team-high 25 points against Eastside. Tan buried four three-pointers in the game.

Julia Anderson and Victoria Liu tossed in five points apiece for the Falcons, Judy Wang and Bryte Nielsen hit four each, Jordan Henry had three free throws and Natalie Zisko added a point. Wang had a three-pointer for Saratoga.

Woo canned four threes to finish with a team-high 12 points in Saratoga's 10-point loss to Lincoln. Tan had a three among her six points and Liu added five points, including a three. Nielsen added four points and Anderson and Diana Shih hit two apiece.

Saratoga will open play in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL this week. The Falcons will host Santa Clara on Jan. 2, 7 p.m., before heading to Lynbrook on Jan. 4, 7:30 p.m.

Photos: Eucalyptus tree and planting daffodils

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