This season, under first-year head coach Xavier Cook, the Wildcats are rolling. With just two games left on their league slate--Feb. 8 against visiting Saratoga and a week later at Lynbrook--the Wildcats have won all 10 of their league assignments and 17 of 20 overall.

Says Lynbrook coach Darrin Garcia, whose team came into Los Gatos on Jan. 25, challenged the Wildcats, but faded down the stretch: "Gatos is a good team, well balanced and they play very good defense."

Indeed, defense has been the difference.

Only Milpitas, among league foes, has scored more than 40 points on Los Gatos. The Trojans have done it twice, including on Feb. 4 when the Cats won 57-45. But that most recent game provides Exhibit A in what Garcia was talking about.

The inside defensive strength of 6-foot seniors Alexa Anderson and Bryte Nielson, along with the perimeter pressure of senior point guard Bailey Richardson and sophomore wings Madeline Rose and Jenna Anderson, allowed less than 10 points in each of the first three quarters.

Finally, after trailing 41-25 after three periods, Milpitas surged for a big fourth quarter (20 points) to get over the 40-point hump.

A. Anderson blocked three shots and made two steals, and Rose blocked two shots. Milpitas usually was limited to one shot on offense as Nielson (12 rebounds), A. Anderson (six) and Rose (five) did a good job of sweeping the defensive boards.

The same trio also paced Wildcat scorers, picking up the slack for absent senior Julia Anderson, usually one of the top point-getters. Nielson scored 17, A. Anderson 14 and Rose 13. Jenna Anderson, Julia's sister, added six points, Richardson had five and freshman Chelsea Ryan added a basket.

Juniors Stephanie Wilcox (three rebounds, two assists) and Monica Thomas (two rebounds, one steal) didn't score, but made important contributions.

Two nights earlier, Los Gatos led 13-12 after one quarter, then gradually pulled away from visiting Homestead. Again the defense clamped down, blocking five shots and creating 13 steals. On offense the Wildcats did a good job taking care of the ball, committing just 10 turnovers while making 16 assists.

Nielson (20 points) and Ju. Anderson (15) led the scoring, and were rebounding leaders along with A. Anderson and Rose. The four players collected six rebounds each.

Rose had a fine all-around game, filling up the stat sheet with six points, seven steals and six assists to go with her six rebounds.

Other scorers were Je. Anderson with eight points, Richardson with four and A. Anderson with three. Richardson was the assists leader, dishing off five passes leading directly to baskets by teammates.

The Wildcats have not lost a game in more than two months--a one-point defeat at St. Francis on Dec. 7.

A. Anderson did not play in that game, nor did she play in the Wildcats' two other defeats, 53-46 to Notre Dame of San Jose on Nov. 22, and 40-35 to Presentation on Dec. 3.

Once the Wildcats had all of their players together, they scored impressive December non-league victories against Leland (54-46) and Wilcox (52-49), two teams that are unbeaten in their respective leagues. Leland, it should be noted, was playing without its leading scorer, 6-foot-2 center Jackie George. Wilcox, however, was at full strength, and the Cats were able to contain 6-foot Derisa Taleni to 17. The talented junior managed just two baskets from inside the arc against Los Gatos' defense. She did make two three-pointers and four foul shots.