Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Saratoga's C.K. Kaplan looks for someone to pass to against Willow Glen in the first round of the Wildcat Shootout. The Falcons beat the Rams 47-33, but lost to Armijo and Live Oak to wind up fourth.
Youth, experience on the floor at Westmont
Saratoga boys, girls in tourney action
By Dick Sparrer
There will be an interesting blend of experience and youth on the floor for the Westmont girls' basketball team this winter.
The experience comes in the form of four returning starters for the Warriors ... the youth in four talented freshmen who could become impact players in the school's basketball program.
Put them together, and returning coach John L. Mackey figures he has a winner on the hardwood in the 2001-02 season.
"With the experience of some key returning players and the skills of some new players," said Mackey, "this year's team has the ability to exceed the accomplishments of last year's team."
If they do, the Warriors would have a winning season, considering that Westmont posted a 13-15 season mark in the '00-01 campaign.
Westmont is coming off of a 5-9 record and fifth-place finish in the rugged Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, and Mackey realizes that the going will be tough again in league play.
"Westmont is going through a rebuilding phase," said the coach, who figures Mitty to be the title favorite in the division this season.
But he's certainly not counting out his own Warriors, with veteran Jenny Brown back to lead the attack.
Brown, a 5-foot-5 senior point guard, returns for her fourth season as a starter for the Warriors. A year ago, she was the Junior of the Year in the BVAL.
Shannon Stenzel, a 5-foot-9 senior, is back at the post position for her third year as a varsity starter at Westmont. Senior post Shantale Higginson (5-foot-10) and junior guard Jennifer Chaney (5-foot-4) are other returning starters for Westmont.
Junior guards Rachelle Brady (5-foot-5) and Jessica Carrow (5-foot-8) are top prospects this season. Brady is up from the junior varsity, and Carrow is a transfer from Presentation.
Warriors third
Brown earned a place on the all-tournament team as the Westmont girls basketball team rolled to a third-place finish in the annual Pioneer-Glenn Ventura Classic.
The Warriors opened the tourney with a 34-29 win over host Pioneer, but lost 62-46 to eventual champ Soquel in the second round. Westmont came back with a 42-39 win over Oak Grove, though, to clinch third in the tournament.
Sh. Stenzel tossed in 10 points and freshman Allyson Carrothers added nine to lead the Warriors to the three-point win over the Eagles in the third-place game.
Brown popped a three-pointer and added four free throws to finish with seven points in the win.
The Warriors lost 62-46 to Soquel in the semifinals.
Brown had the hot hand for the Warriors in this one, burying 18 points. Sh. Stenzel joined her in double digits with 10 points.
Soquel went on to beat Piedmont Hills 42-33 to clinch the tournament championship.
Westmont had opened the tourney with a 34-29 win over Pioneer. Brown topped the Warriors with 10 points, and senior Karly Brownridge added six.
Saratoga girls second
The Saratoga girls basketball team played its way into the championship game of the Shirakawa Classic at Yerba Buena before losing a tough 49-44 decision to Gilroy.
Senior forward Karen Woo fired four three-pointers to finish with 12 points, but the Falcons couldn't hold off a late surge by the Mustangs in the tourney title game.
Julia Anderson tossed in eight points for Saratoga and Victoria Liu added seven, including a three-pointer. Katie Levinson hit six points and Judy Wang five.
The Falcons earned their place in the championship game with a solid 51-45 win over Notre Dame of San Jose.
Woo had the hot hand with 19 points. Four of her six buckets were three-pointers, and she added three points at the free-throw line. Tiffany Tan supported with seven points, including a three, and Liu had a pair of threes to finish with six points. Levinson, Anderson and Bryte Nielsen had four points each.
Saratoga opened the week with a tight 40-37 win over Leigh. Liu was the scoring leader for the Falcons with 10 points, including a couple of threes, and Woo drained three threes to finish with nine points. Tan had a pair of threes to nail six points, and Nielsen also hit six.
The Falcons, now 5-1 in the young season, will visit Westmont on Dec. 11, 7 p.m.
Falcons fourth
The Saratoga boys, meanwhile, won their opener at the Los Gatos Lions' Club Wildcat Shootout, but then lost two straight to wind up fourth in the eight-team tourney.
Junior guard Matt Ashburn earned a place on the all-tournament team after scoring 34 points in the three games for the Falcons.
Ashburn tossed in a tourney-high 15 in Saratoga's 47-33 win over Willow Glen to open the Shootout. The junior's points all came on five three-point buckets.
Justin Zebb, a senior guard, had a three among his nine points, and Eric Lee finished with eight points. Aron Mitsunaga chipped in with six points, C.K. Kaplan and Chris Barrett had four points apiece, and Lawrence Hui hit two.
But the Falcons lost a night later 72-53 to eventual tourney champ Armijo of Fairfield. Ashburn hit another three, but he was held to eight points. Lee was the scoring leader for the Falcons with 10 points.
Kazuto Nakanishi had a three among his seven points, Mark Elfving hit six, Zebb had five, Mitsunaga four, Hui three, Will Kraemer and Greg Van Hoesen two apiece and Barrett one.
Saratoga fell behind by 11 at the half, and that's how much the Falcons ended up losing by to Live Oak when they fell 63-52 in the third-place game.
The Falcons will host the Saratoga Shootout this week with games slated Dec. 12-15 in the Saratoga gym.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
