Playing in the tough De Anza League, the Falcons have secured a spot in the Division 3 CCS playoffs following February break. The team will be playing their last league game at Los Altos on February 16.
After a streak of losses to Mountain View and Palo Alto, the girls came back with a 52-34 win over Wilcox last Friday. They had previously lost to the Chargers during the first half of the season.
The girls outscored Wilcox in every quarter of the game with senior forward Eleni Spirakis scoring 17 points and junior guard Aryana Goodarzi having eight of her own.
“We knew [game against Wilcox in first half of season] was one we could have won,” Spirakis said. “Every win helps us in CCS, so this was a great game for us.”
The girls suffered a loss against the powerhouse Palo Alto High in an away game on Feb 2. With the final score at 48-37, the girls trailed the Vikings for almost the entire game to a team they had beaten at home earlier in the season.
Despite a strong effort from senior captain Erin Norris, who had 11 points and five rebounds, and Goodarzi, who had eight points and three rebounds, the Falcons were not able to edge out the Vikings and their top shooter Alexis Harris, who is ranked fourth in the league for points and had 17 points for the night. The Falcons also had trouble finishing shots and executing offense, Spirakis said.
The Falcons faced Mountain View for a second time on Jan 29, with another devastating loss 57-52. They had lost against Mountain View earlier in the season by four points, a close game in both cases.
“Every game that we have played has been super close, coming down to a difference in less than 10 points in each victory or loss,” said senior captain and point guard Nicole Prowse. “Each game that we have lost is due to the smallest of mistakes. Every mistake we make is exploited right away by our opponents and so every loss has come from mistakes we just can’t make up.”
Davey believes that the team has a good chance of doing well in CCS and advancing far into the tournament if they continue to win games in the second half of the league schedule.
“This is one of the most adaptable teams I've coached,” said Davey. “They are able to switch defenses on the fly and have improved in terms of communication with each other.”
Due to printing deadlines, the Falcon was unable to cover the game at Los Gatos on Feb. 9, the game against Gunn Feb. 12, and the game at Los Altos on February 16.