By Dick Sparrer
The high school basketball season came to an end last week.
The first season, that is. Because the second season is just about to begin, and things should get pretty interesting on the courts of the Central Coast Section.
It was the regular season that came to a close last week, but the second season begins this week when the area's top teams open the CCS playoffs.
And Saratoga will be well-represented when the post-season gets under way, with four area teams earning CCS berths--the Prospect boys' team, and the girls' teams from Prospect, Saratoga and Westmont.
The Westmont girls won the championship in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, and the Warriors enter the CCS Division III playoffs as the No. 6 seed. Westmont (22-3) will open CCS play at home on Feb. 27, 7 p.m., against Aragon (11-12).
Saratoga also earned a place in the CCS Division III playoffs. The Falcons, 15-8 this season, will open the postseason on the road, visiting James Lick (21-5) on Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
The Prospect girls will take an 11-14 season record into the CCS Division II playoffs. The Panthers will visit Alisal (20-6) on Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Prospect's boys, meanwhile, will take their 13-11 season mark to Alisal (20-5) for a 6 p.m. game as part of a Feb. 26 CCS doubleheader.
Warriors win title
The Westmont girls wrapped up the Santa Teresa Division title last week with wins over Willow Glen and Del Mar. The Warriors finished the league season with a 13-1 record.
Tiffany Reiblein pumped in 18 points, and Stephanie Herrera added 11 to lead the Warriors to a lopsided 69-14 win over Willow Glen to open the week.
Melissa Taylor supported with eight points, Emillia Ortiz and Sheryl Mahaffey hit six apiece, Melissa Newberg had five, Alyssa Parsons and Sabine Bosklopper four each, Linda Matar three and Lauren Costanza and Lindsay Hahn two each.
Mahaffey came back with 13 points, and Reiblein drilled 10 to lead the Warriors to a 47-44 win over Del Mar. Parsons added six, Ortiz and Taylor five apiece, Hahn four, Costanzo three and Newberg one.
Falcons win two
Saratoga finished the regular season with two wins to post a solid 9-5 record in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Sarah Ruby jammed 10 points, and Allison Zisko added seven to lead the Falcons to a tight 36-34 win over Milpitas to open the week.
Clancy Roberts canned six points in the win, Amy Woo and Nancy Fathali hit five apiece and Jill Moon had three.
Zisko had the hot hand in a 51-32 win over Mountain View to close out the regular season. The 6-foot-1 junior forward popped 18 points to lead the Falcons to the victory.
Rudy had 10 points to join Zisko in double figures and Fathali poured in nine points. Robyn Katzman added four points and Roberts, Andrea Lo, Nicole LaMore and Karin Bencala hit two each.
Panthers finish strong
The Prospect girls finished the regular season strong with back-to-back wins.
Heather Winkleman buried 41 points in two games to lead the Panthers past Oak Grove 61-52 and Santa Teresa 55-49.
Winkleman tossed in 21 points to lead the Panthers past the Eagles. Elizabeth Harkins added 12 for Prospect, and Erica Slykhouse had 10.
Winkleman came back with 20 points to lead Prospect to the win over Santa Teresa. Lyndsey Najima added 13 points, Harkins 12, Jennifer Sitter four and Slykhouse and Adela Sojtaric three apiece.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 26, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.