Saratoga's Justin Zebb tosses a pass in a game against Willow Glen in the Los Gatos Shootout. Zebb helped the Falcons reach the finals of the Saratoga Shootout this past weekend.
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Panthers win title at Shootout
Tournament features an all Saratoga final
By Dick Sparrer
It was called the Saratoga Shootout, and that's just what it turned out to be when two Saratoga boys basketball teams faced off in the finals.
Host Saratoga and Prospect played their way into the tournament championship game. And when they got there, it was a shootout indeed.
No less than eight three-pointers wiggled the nets in the title game. And when the dust cleared on Saturday night, it was the sharpshooters from Prospect who had clinched the tourney title.
Junior guard Ryan Najima poured in 19 points, including three three-pointers, to lead Prospect to a 58-49 win over Saratoga in the title game.
Roma Ngaleo supported with 13 points for the Panthers, and Kevin McPeck had a three among his 10 points. Brent Hughes added seven points in the win, Alex Polovetsky hit four, Brad Bonvechio popped a three-pointer and Matt Jasper had two points.
Justin Zebb had the hot hand for the Falcons in the game with 13 points, including a pair of threes.
Eric Lee joined Zebb in double digits with 10 points, Matt Ashburn and Aron Mitzunaga hit seven apiece, Lawrence Hui had four and Mark Elfving, Frank Wallace, Chris Barrett and Greg Van Hoesen added two each. Ashburn hit a three-pointer.
The Panthers, 8-2 for the year, had opened the tourney with a 56-41 win over Pioneer and came back with a 62-40 win over Monta Vista in the semifinals.
Ngaleo was the top scorer for Prospect in the 22-point win over the Matadors. The 6-foot-6 senior center tossed in 13 points as the Panthers outscored Monta Vista in every period, including a 21-7 run in the first quarter.
Dave Smith supported with 10 points, Najima had seven, McPeck and Hughes five apiece, and Polovetsky and Jasper four each. Bonvechio and Nick Vidal each hit three-pointers for the Panthers.
Ngaleo tossed in 14 points and Jasper went for 12 in Prospect's 56-41 win over Pioneer in the tourney opener for each club. Najima added nine points and McPeck six.
Saratoga slipped to 5-5 for the year with the loss to Prospect in the Shootout finals.
The Falcons opened the tournament with a 77-67 win over Menlo, then beat Mills 61-52 in the semifinals to earn a place in the title game.
Ashburn poured in 17 points, including three threes, to lead the Falcons past Mills in the semi's. Lee was close behind with 16 points and Zebb pitched in 13. Both Lee and Zebb hit a three.
Rounding out the Saratoga scorers against Millers were Van Hoesen and Barrett with four apiece, and Hui, Mitsunaga and Wallace with two each.
The Falcons had to fight from behind for the win over Mills. They trailed 16-9 after a period and 31-21 at the half. But the Falcons came on strong in the third quarter to outscore Mills 22-5 to take control of the game.
Ashburn went for 20 points to lead the Falcons past Menlo 77-67 in the tournament opener. The 5-foot-10 junior guard popped three threes among his five field goals and he added six points at the free-throw line.
Lee fired in 14 points in the win and Zebb finished in double digits with 13. Elfving tossed in 10 points, Wallace added six, C.K. Kaplan two and Hui and Barrett one each.
Saratoga and Mills were locked in a 32-32 tie at intermission, but the Falcons dominated the second half to clinch the win.
Saratoga will be on the road this week, literally. The Falcons will head north for a tournament in Canada Dec. 19-22. After Christmas, Saratoga will host a Canadian team, Lambrick Park, for a 1:30 p.m. game on Dec. 28.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
