Saratoga News
Sports
Photograph by John Medina
Saratoga's Kourash Agahdel (3) works the ball up the floor in a game against Fremont last week. The Falcons had opened the season a few days earlier with a 62-50 loss to Milpitas. Agahdel scored eight in the game for the Falcons.
Bramlett, Ruddy zero in on three-pointers
By Dick Sparrer
Jessica Bramlett and Lisa Ruddy were locked in from the three-point range last week, but it led to very different results in two games for the Saratoga girls basketball team in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Bramlett jammed six threes and finished with 21 points, but the Falcons lost a tough 36-41 decision to Homestead last Friday night. Earlier in the week, Ruddy hit five threes for 15 points in Saratoga's 48-25 win over Santa Clara.
The split left the Saratoga girls 1-1 in the El Camino Division and 12-4 for the year. The Falcons will try to get back to their winning ways this week when they visit Cupertino on Jan. 10, 7 p.m., and host Lynbrook on Jan. 12, 6:15 p.m., in league play.
Ruddy got hot on Wednesday night, and it sparked the Falcons to the win over the Bruins. She canned five threes to finish with 15 points to pace Saratoga to the lopsided victory.
Erica Baba also finished in double digits in the win, hitting 13 for the Falcons. She had a three among her three field goals and added six points at the free-throw line.
Melissa Lin added seven points, Alex Sclavos six, Ashley Cole five and Vanessa Guzman two. Cole also hit a three.
Saratoga opened up a 15-5 lead after a period and outscored the Bruins 14-2 in the second to lead 29-7 at the half. The Falcons opened up a 45-12 lead by the end of the third and coasted from there to the win.
The tables were turned a bit on Friday, though, as Homestead outscored Saratoga in every quarter but the fourth to claim the win. In the fourth, though, the Falcons really made a game of it.
The Mustangs led 12-5 after a period, 24-12 at the half and 39-33 after three quarters. But Saratoga outscored Homestead 18-7 in the final stanza to end up losing by just five.
Bramlett was the big scorer for Saratoga with 21 points, largely coming on six three-pointers. Lin had a three among her four field goals to finish with 10 points and Sclavos had seven points, including a three. Guzman added two points and Sam King had one.
The Saratoga boys, meanwhile, opened the De Anza Division season with a 62-50 loss to Milpitas.
The Falcons, who took a 10-3 season record into league play, were outscored in every period but the fourth as the Trojans rolled to a 12-point victory.
Keon Ghafouri poured in 28 points, but it wasn't enough for Saratoga against Milpitas. Ghafouri had four three-pointers among his eight field goals and added eight points at the free-throw line in the game.
Kourash Agahdel tossed in eight points for Saratoga, Steven Walker hit six, Nick Valuri had four and Sean Casserly and Edmund Ye hit two apiece.
The Trojans led 18-15 at the first buzzer, 30-23 at the half and 44-30 after three periods before clinching the 12-point win.
The Falcons, who were to visit Cupertino on Jan. 9, will host Los Gatos on Nov. 12, 7:45 p.m., before heading to Palo Alto on Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
