Saratoga News

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Prospect's Eric Ostgarden, driving to the hoop in action against Willow Glen earlier in the year, helped the Panthers to an important league win over Del Mar last week.

Falcons off to a hot start

And that's both the boys and the girls

By Dick Sparrer

Saratoga is off to a hot start in league basketball action this winter. But wait--is that the Saratoga boys' team or the Saratoga girls' team?

Both.

The Falcons are 3-0 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League in both boys' and girls' competition this winter. And for each team, it's a successful league start that carries over from a successful preseason.

The Saratoga boys edged Mountain View 41-37 and beat Gunn 60-56 last week to improve to 3-0 in the division and to 11-5 for the year.

And the girls from Saratoga knocked off Milpitas 44-33 in their only league game last week to jump to 3-0 in the division and to 9-3 for the season.

Mike Black had the hot hand for the Saratoga boys last week. Black poured in 35 points in two games to lead the Falcons to the back-to-back victories.

Black pumped in 17 points to lead all Saratoga scorers in the four-point win over the Spartans. He tossed in four field goals but was especially effective at the free-throw line with nine charity throws.

Saratoga had to battle from behind for the important league win. The Falcons were down 11-4 after a period but tied it 17-17 by intermission. They trailed again after three quarters, 31-29, but outscored the Spartans by six in the final period to pull out the win.

Micah Weger supported with seven points for the Falcons, and Luke Weger and Matt McKenna added five points apiece. The Weger brothers each hit a three-point bucket.

Oliver L'Abbe finished with four points; Ryan Anderson, two; and Corey Schwaderer, one.

Black had a pair of threes among his four field goals, and he fired in eight free throws to finish with 18 points in the 60-56 win over Gunn later in the week.

L. Weger joined Black in double digits with 16 points. Weger bombed three three-pointers in the win.

L'Abbe hit nine points for the winners; Schwaderer, seven; Anderson and Paul Zebb, four apiece; and M. Weger, two.

Saratoga had to fight from behind in this one, too, this time outscoring Gunn 19-13 in the third period to overcome a 24-23 halftime deficit.

The Falcons will take their 3-0 league record up against Homestead on Jan. 21, 7 p.m., at Saratoga before heading to Cupertino on Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m., for a key El Camino clash.

Falcon girls win

Karin Bencala knocked down 16 points to lead the Saratoga girls to the 44-33 win over Milpitas last week.

The Falcons opened up a 27-11 lead over the Trojans in the first half and never looked back on the road to the victory.

Clancy Roberts tossed in nine points, including a three, and Jenn Chan added eight points. Allison Zisko hit six points; Nicole LaMore, three; and Robyn Katzman, two.

Saratoga hosted Los Altos on Jan. 20 and will visit Cupertino on Jan. 22 in a pair of 7 p.m. games.

Warriors top Panthers

Westmont was coming off of a tough loss to Yerba Buena. Prospect was coming off a big win over Del Mar.

But the momentum shifted in a hurry for the two boys' basketball teams last week when Westmont upset Prospect 73-69 in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

Doug Shin poured in 21 points, including three three-pointers, to lead the Warriors to the tight four-point win over the Panthers.

Westmont trailed by eight at the half and by two heading into the final period, but the Warriors topped the Panthers 24-18 in the fourth.

Spencer Tolbert poured in four threes on his way to 16 points to lead all Prospect scorers. Thomas Turner and Lee Robinson pitched in 14 points apiece; Danny Baucus, eight; and Eric Ostgarden, six. Turner, Ostgarden and Baucus each hit three-pointers.

The Panthers, now 2-2 in league and 8-10 for the year, opened the week with a 53-45 win over Del Mar. Turner led Prospect with 16 points, and Baucus and Robinson added 12 each. Barry Sharpe supported with seven points.

Split for Warriors

The Westmont girls split last week, losing 71-31 to Mitty before beating Leland 43-38.

Melissa Newberg dropped 13 points, and Sheryl Mahaffey bombed three threes on her way to 12 points to lead the Warriors to the win over the Chargers. Emillia Ortiz chipped in with eight points; Sabine Bosklopper hit six; Melissa Taylor had two; and Lauren Costanzo and Alyssa Parsons added one each.

The Warriors, 14-4 for the year and 2-1 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL, lost by 40 to Mitty to open the week.

Newberg hit 10 to lead the Warriors, and Mahaffey and Taylor added eight apiece. Zuleeka Mohamed had three points, and Bosklopper and Parsons hit one each.

Panthers lose two

Prospect's girls slipped to 1-3 in the Mt. Hamilton Division, losing 44-29 to Leland and 63-25 to Presentation.

Lyndsey Najima drilled 11 points, but the Panthers lost to Leland. The clubs traded the lead for three periods before Leland pulled away in the final quarter, outscoring Prospect 20-6.

Prospect trailed Presentation just 14-12 after a period, but the Panthers were blanked 24-0 in the second quarter and Presentation rolled from there to the victory.

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