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Victoria Liu has provided senior leadership for the Saratoga girls basketball team all season long. And it was no different last week in the Central Coast Section Division II quarterfinals.
But even a 24-point performance by the Saratoga senior wasn't enough to get the Falcons past Santa Cruz and into the CCS semi's. Saratoga lost a 67-52 decision to the Cardinals to see its brilliant 200304 season come to a close.
Saratoga had opened the playoffs with a solid 52-43 win over Notre DameBelmont, but the Falcons lost a game later to Santa Cruz. Saratoga finished the second with a solid 20-6 record and, more importantly, a solid nucleus of returning players for next year.
Topping the list are juniors Bryte Nielsen and Julia Anderson. Head coach Bret Yeilding will say good-bye to only four graduating seniors from this year's club.
One of them, though, will be Liu. And she was at her best last week against Santa Cruz.
Liu had a pair of three-point buckets among her 10 field goals as she led the Falcons with 24 points. Anderson and senior Tiffany Tan supported with nine points apiece and Nielsen and senior Hannah Gladwell had four points each. Amy Yee, another senior, added two points. Tan had a pair of threes in the game.
The Falcons trailed by three after a period, but grabbed a 28-27 lead by the half. Santa Cruz outscored Saratoga in each of the last two periods, though, to claim the win.
Saratoga had dominated the third quarter a game earlier on the road to a nine-point win over Belmont.
The Falcons were up by five after a period, but even with Notre Dame at the half, 22-22. Saratoga dominated the third quarter 17-5 and coasted from there to the win.
Nielsen was the big scored for the Falcons in the win. The 5-foot-10 juniors tossed in a three among five field goals and she added four points at the free-throw line to finish with a team-high 15.
Tan had a pair of threes and six free throws to finish with 12 points, and Liu and Anderson hit eight points apiece. Liu had a pair of threes and two charity throws.
Galdwell canned four points, Yee hit a three and Jordana Dreyfuss added two points.
Boys fall to Lancers
The Saratoga boys, meanwhile, couldn't get out of the first round in the CCS Division II playoffs. The Falcons dropped a 47-44 nod to St. Francis, despite a solid showing by senior captain Aron Mitsunaga and senior Irving Chien.
Mitsunaga led the Falcons with 14 points, hitting a three among his five field goals and adding three free throws. Chien also had a three and finished with four buckets and four charity throws for 13 points.
Junior center Danny Wallace had six points for Saratoga, Chris Etterman had four points, including a three, and Ben Coggins and Adam Sato had two points apiece.
The Falcons finished the year with an 18-10 record.
Walter off to state
Local schools will be well represented in the 189-pound division at the State High School Wrestling Tournament set for March 56 in Bakersfield with Brent Walter of Saratoga, Ivan Batinich of Los Gatos and Dean Antolin of Westmont all making the trip.
Walter earned his place at the state meet by beating Batinich 5-1 to claim the CCS crown. The Saratoga junior will make his first state visit.
For Antolin, it will be his second straight trip to the state tourney. The Westmont senior has placed third in the CCS for two years in a row.
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