With 20 seconds left in overtime, boys’ basketball head coach Mike Davey tapped his head, signaling to senior guard Bryan Wang to execute an isolation play. Wang then drove to the top of the key and sank a jump shot to put the Falcons up 50-47. After a foul by Monta Vista, Wang made one of two free throws. After another foul by the Matadors, senior center Varun Ganesh sank the final two free throws before the packed crowd rushed onto the court to celebrate the emotional victory on the Falcons’ Feb. 8 senior night.
Their 53-47 win was highlighted by Wang’s excellent overtime performance; he scored 12 points in overtime without missing a shot.
Before Wang’s and Ganesh’s overtime shots secured their victory, however, it was a tense game; the team wavered between pulling ahead and falling behind Monta Vista throughout the game. During the first quarter, the Falcons secured a 9-point lead. But Monta Vista’s full court press eventually overwhelmed the Falcons as they struggled to score in the second and third quarters and went into the fourth quarter trailing by 4.
According to Ganesh, the Falcons’ struggle to score during the second and third quarters was partly due to the absence of senior forward Kali Duvvuri — the team’s second leading scorer averaging 11 points a game. While Duvvuri was there at the game, he had received two technical fouls and was ejected in the third quarter after an exchange of words with the Monta Vista coach.
In the fourth quarter, the team eventually shortened the gap to one point, with 20 seconds left in the game. Wang scored a clutch layup to take the lead but Monta Vista evened the score after making two free throws after a blocking foul on the Falcons. Ultimately, Wang’s overtime performance sealed the victory for the Falcons.
The team had a rocky journey to qualify for CCS, with close games throughout their season. On Jan. 20, the team lost 40-37 to Cupertino, the top team in the El Camino League. Since then, they have won four of their last five games — including a 55-43 away win against Santa Clara on Jan. 30, which qualified the team for CCS.
They stand at a 7-4 record as of Feb. 9 and are third in the league.
Ganesh said the team’s mid-season loss against Cupertino galvanized players, causing them to work harder during practices. Specifically, he said players on the defensive end improved their work ethic to put full effort onto the court.
“Everything begins from the defensive side,” he said. “It gives us time to slow down and reposition ourselves on the offensive end.”
Earlier in the season, the team also significantly struggled with turnovers, and the switch to a slower-paced offense allowed them to make “smarter passes and plays,” Ganesh said.
“The biggest thing that helped us play better is making sure we start strong,” Ganesh said. “The first part of the game really gets us going and we are able to feed off that energy for the rest of the game.”
In addition to frequent lunch meetings to review game film, the team also has shoot-arounds where they go over specific plays they want to run against upcoming teams. With these adjustments, Ganesh has seen significant improvement in their style of play and looks to continue their streak.
To close out the season, the team will play at Cupertino on Feb. 13, hoping to avenge their close loss earlier in the season. With their recent qualification for CCS — which will start on the weekend of Feb. 16 — the team also has high hopes for what is to come.
“I think we have a good shot to win CCS based on some of the teams in our division,” Ganesh said. “I think we can compete with all of them and if we keep playing the way we are, I think we have a really good chance.”
