Saratoga News

Vikings, Jaguars ready for big basketball game

Conference leaders hit the court in contest Friday

By Dick Sparrer

Basketball games don't come much bigger than this one.

The top two teams in the Coast Conference--make that, two of the top teams in the state--will go head-to-head on Friday night in a key community college men's basketball game.

West Valley Community College (5-0 in the conference and 23-2 for the year) will visit San Jose City College (4-1 in the conference and 23-4 for the year) on Feb. 6, 7 p.m., in a game that will decide first place in the Coast Conference.

The clubs set up Friday's titanic by winning two games each in conference play last week.

Darrell Teat and David Wright combined for 60 points to lead West Valley to back-to-back Coast Conference victories over Foothill and Chabot.

The Vikings whipped Foothill 65-53, then pounded Chabot 99-52 to improve to 5-0 in the conference and 23-2 for the year.

Teat pumped in 15 points, and Wright and Rion Nolan (Leigh) added 13 apiece to drive the Vikes to the 12-point win over the Owls to open the week.

Wright came back with 18 points, and Teat pitched in 14 in West Valley's win over Chabot.

In other local community college basketball action, Bernadette Suffle poured in 21 points, and Kerri Dunn (Presentation) added 14 to lead the De Anza Community College women's basketball team to a lopsided 81-57 win over Gavilan last week.

The Lady Dons improved to 6-2 in the Coast Conference and to 21-7 for the year with the victory.

Suffle buried three three-pointers on her way to the 21-point night, and Dunn jammed seven field goals to account for all of her 14 points. Laura Raffaelli (Los Gatos) supported with 12 points and Jane Riley (Westmont) added 11.

Riley had jammed 19 points earlier in the week to lead the Dons to an 82-48 win over Cabrillo. Stephanie Harris added 14 points for De Anza, and Suffle and Raffaelli hit 13 apiece.

A night earlier, the De Anza men dropped a tough 97-88 decision to San Jose City College to slip to 3-2 in the conference and to 11-15 for the season.

David Newberg (Westmont) had the hot hand for the Dons with 24 points, and Aaron Zaballos (Oak Grove) fired in 19, including five three-pointers. Germaine Monroe chipped in with 14 points, and David Mollins added 13.

Earlier in the week, the Dons turned back Ohlone 76-60. Monroe and Mollins dropped 17 points apiece for the winners, and Newberg had 13.

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