The Sunnyvale Sun
Sports
Homestead boys drop Eagles into tie for 1st
By Mike Barnhart
While Santa Clara Valley Athletic League girls basketball teams continued to chase unbeaten division leaders Wilcox and Saratoga last week, the climate atop both boys divisions changed when Cupertino and Los Altos both lost for the first time.
Homestead's third win in a row, 42-41 over Los Altos on Jan. 18, dropped the Eagles into a tie with Monta Vista (4-1) atop the El Camino standings. Senior guard David Castillo scored 11 points and teammates Jeff Whitford and Patrick Myers added eight each for the Mustangs (3-2), who rallied from a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit.
The Matadors, who play at Los Altos on Jan. 23, 7 p.m., bounced back from an incredible 108-96 loss at Wilcox with two wins last week. The Mats pulled out a 57-55 decision at Mountain View on Jan. 16, before running away from Santa Clara 61-33.
Juniors Kevin Lang (19 points) and Phaniteja Kannegati (15) paced the scoring against Mountain View. Senior Peter Kosulin and sophomore Shawn Hansra added seven each and senior Sean Brar six for Monta Vista, which outscored the host Spartans 17-7 in the fourth quarter.
Eleven players scored for the Matadors two nights later. Senior Wayne Pao led the scoring parade with 11 points. Junior Victor Shih, Brar and Lang tallied nine each.
It was the second drubbing of the week for winless Santa Clara (0-5). Homestead had buried the Bruins 56-26 behind junior Doug Rathbun's 12 points and 11 each from Myers and Whitford.
Lynbrook (3-2) nearly stole Homestead's thunder on Jan. 16, when the Vikings took Los Altos into double overtime before bowing 53-47. Junior guard Steven Sanders' 15 points paced the Vikings, who dropped to 13-6 overall. Six-foot-9 senior center Andy Meunier scored 13 and junior Emre Titizer had eight for the Vikings, who will host Homestead, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., before playing at Wilcox, Jan. 25, 7:45 p.m.
Two days after dealing Gunn its first De Anza Division loss, 37-35, Cupertino suffered its first setback at Saratoga. The Falcons, who had lost their first four division games, edged the Pioneers 61-59. The Pioneers (5-1, 17-4 overall), with a bye, will have a week of rest before hosting Los Gatos on Jan. 25, 7:45 p.m. Meanwhile, the 3-1 Gunn and Palo Alto squads both have three-game weeks.
Los Gatos improved to 2-3 in De Anza play by scoring a 49-46 triumph at Fremont (1-4). Aaron Moore's 12 points and John McDowell's 11 paced the Firebirds, who face a tough week with road games at Paly and Gunn.
Girls basketball
As De Anza leader Wilcox (14-3 overall) and El Camino front-runner Saratoga (16-3) improved their division records to 5-0, the other teams scrambled for position in the pack.
In El Camino play, Cupertino junior Tiffany Wang poured in 27 points against Monta Vista on Jan. 15, but the Matadors (2-3) recovered from a 13-point halftime deficit with 44 points in the second half and won 58-49. Zoe Booke led the Mats with 16 points. Allena Sommer scored 12 and Amanda Hui and Alexandra Chiu added 11 against the Pioneers (1-4).
Lynbrook (3-2) won its only game of the week, 50-35 over Los Altos (1-4), as Diana Lee scored 22. After a game at Homestead (2-3), the second-place Vikings will play at Saratoga, Jan. 25, 6:15 p.m.
Homestead (2-3) beat Los Altos, 36-33, behind senior Emily Blazensky's 16 points and sophomore Shelby Morita's 14.
In the De Anza Division, Fremont (0-5) dropped tough games to Milpitas and Los Gatos. Sophomore J.T. Wozniak scored 20 points and junior Rachel Prescott had 16 against the Wildcats, but the Firebirds fell 62-60.