Saratoga News
Sports
Ghafouri leads Falcons to big win over the rival Wildcats
By Dick Sparrer
It doesn't matter what sport it is, and forget the league standings--anytime rivals Los Gatos and Saratoga get together for a high school game, excitement fills the air.
And it was no different in the Los Gatos gym last Friday night when the Falcons came to call for a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division boys basketball game.
Saratoga was reeling from a 74-56 loss to Cupertino earlier in the week, and Los Gatos was lamenting a disappointing 54-45 loss to Palo Alto. Each team needed a win.
It was the Falcons, though, who would stave off a late run by the Wildcats to pull out the 65-61 victory on the Gatos floor. The win helped Saratoga climb a step closer to .500 in division play at 4-5. The Falcons, who posted an impressive 11-3 mark in the pre-season, own a 15-8 record for the year.
Saratoga jumped out to a quick 17-5 first-quarter lead against the Cats, but Gatos fought back to outscore the Falcons 25-19 in the second period to cut the lead to six points at 36-30. Saratoga stretched its lead to 10, then held on as the Wildcats cut it by six in the final quarter.
Keon Ghafouri led the Falcons with 22 points. The 5-foot-11 junior pitched in three three-pointers among his five field goals and added nine points at the free-throw line. Saratoga tossed in 25 free throws in the win, compared to just 13 for the Wildcats.
Senior guard Kourash Agahdel supported with 13 points, including seven from the line, and Nick Valuri added 12 points. Steven Walker had four points at the charity line and finished with six points for the night. Sean Casserly added five points, Ryan Pak four and Andy Capek three. Pak hit a three-pointer.
Earlier in the week, the Falcons were outscored in every period but the fourth in an 18-point loss to the Pioneers. Cupertino and Palo Alto share the division lead with matching 6-2 records.
Ghafouri had a big night for the Falcons with 24 points. Three of his seven field goals came from outside the arc, and he added seven points at the line.
Agahdel added nine points for the Falcons and Capek had seven. Each one popped a three-pointer.
Valuri had six points, Edmund Ye four, P.J. Rezaii and Walker two apiece and Casserly and Chris Chiou one each.
The Pioneers led by four after a period, 15-11, by 14 at the half and by 20 heading into the final quarter.
The Falcons will try to even their league record with an upset win over Palo Alto when they host the Vikings on Feb. 6, 7 p.m. Saratoga closes out the regular season with games at Gunn on Feb. 13, 7 p.m., and at home against Milpitas on Feb. 16, 7:45 p.m.
