By Dick Sparrer
Young teams aren't supposed to win. But the girls' basketball players at Westmont must be too young to know.
Because the Warriors are winning this winter, despite an 11-player roster that features only one senior.
Tiffany Reiblein is the only senior on the team that includes two freshmen, a sophomore and seven very talented juniors.
Melissa Newberg and Melissa Taylor top the list of standout juniors on the Westmont squad, and they proved it last week by leading the Warriors to back-to-back wins in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
Taylor tossed in 16 points to lead all Westmont scorers in a tight 46-40 win over Mt. Pleasant, and Newberg poured in 20 points in the lopsided 51-31 victory over Willow Glen to close out the week.
The two wins helped the Warriors improve to 6-0 in division play and to 15-1 for the year.
Taylor had the hot hand for the Warriors in the win over the Cardinals. Newberg and Lauren Costanzo, another top Westmont junior, added eight points apiece, and Reiblein tossed in six. Emillia Ortiz added four points, and Sabine Bosklopper and Linda Matar hit two each.
Newberg came back with 20 points to lead the Warriors past the Rams. Taylor finished with eight points, Ortiz six, Matar five, Stephanie Herrera four and Reiblein, Bosklopper, Costanzo, Sheryl Mahaffey and Alyssa Parsons two each.
The Prospect girls had a big week, too, winning two games in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.
The Panthers opened the week with a solid 59-49 win over Leland, then pounded Oak Grove 52-26.
The wins were Prospect's first two in division play. The Panthers are now 2-3 in Mt. Hamilton action and 9-8 for the year.
Lyndsey Najima and Elizabeth Harkins were the big scorers for Prospect in the lopsided win over the Eagles. Najima led the Panthers with 14 points, and Harkins was close behind with 13. Both hit three-pointers.
Heather Winkleman supported with eight points. Anna Lisa Reyes tossed in four points, Jennifer Sitter and Summer Ujifusa added three apiece and Cindy Sharpe, Christina Connery and Edina Blazevic had two each.
Prospect took control by outscoring Oak Grove 11-4 in the first quarter and 11-6 in the second, but the Panthers took command by dominating the third period 22-8.
Things were a little closer earlier in the week, but only in the end.
The Panthers opened up a big lead by intermission after outscoring the Chargers 19-8 in the second quarter. Leland outpointed Prospect in the fourth, but could only get within 10 before the final buzzer.
Harkins led the Panthers with 21 points. Winkleman came through with 14 points, and Najima joined the two in twin figures with 13.
Sitter added four points for Prospect, Adela Sojtaric had three and Blazevic and Sharpe hit two apiece.
The Panthers will host Santa Teresa in a division game on Jan. 29, 7 p.m., before visiting powerhouse Presentation on Jan. 31, 7 p.m.
The Saratoga girls came through with an impressive 45-29 win over Wilcox last week to jump to 4-2 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and to 10-5 for the year.
It was a dominating second quarter that sparked the Falcons to the victory.
Saratoga led 9-6 at the first buzzer, but then blitzed the Chargers 15-2 in the second to take control of the game.
Sophomore guard Nancy Fathali led the Falcons with 21 points in the win, including three three-pointers.
Sarah Ruby, a 5-foot-10 senior center, supported with eight points and Jill Moon and Jennifer Chan added four apiece. Amy Woo, Allison Zisko, Robyn Katzman and Karin Bencala chipped in with two each.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 29, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.