Wildcats deal blow to Falcons’ CCS chances

Senior guard Julian Berklowitz-Sklar gets ready for a defensive possession late in the team’s game against Los Gatos on Feb. 8.

The team continues to play their hardest despite the injuries and setbacks.

In a key game for CCS qualification, the boys’ basketball team fell at home 63-52 to a strong Los Gatos team on Feb. 8. As of Feb. 9, the Falcons ranked fourth in the De Anza division with a 4-6 record.

After starting the game with a rough first quarter, the Falcons quickly came back in the second quarter, cutting the Los Gatos lead to two points. The Falcons subsequently missed several free throws and went into halftime down 32-25 after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from junior guard Bryan Wang.

In the second half, the Falcons struggled against the Wildcats’ full court press, which forced several turnovers that contributed to Los Gatos’s 45-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Falcons made one final push in the fourth led by senior point guard Nick Tjaden, the team’s leading scorer. With about six minutes left, junior forward Kali Duvvuri stole the ball and scored a quick two-pointer, bringing the score to 55-50.

Tjaden kept the team’s momentum going with another mid-range jump shot, but ultimately the Falcons were unable to close the gap and were forced to commit intentional fouls before the final buzzer sounded.

Despite this tough loss, the Falcons were determined to focus on their remaining two games. On Feb. 10, the Falcons played at Palo Alto, and against Los Altos on Feb. 13 at home for their senior night. (Because of printing deadline, The Falcon couldn’t cover either game in the print edition.)

Senior guard Niveydh Pai, one of the team’s captains, said players struggle in games because of mental lapses in the second half, stemming from minor details like bad passes or turnovers that shift the momentum of winnable games.

Head coach Mike Davey wants the team to keep pushing to the finish line, whether they make CCS or not. Additionally, injuries have been a season-long problem that they could not avoid — every player missed some time during the season.

Starting center senior Mateusz Palusinski came down with COVID-19 and was out for the whole week of Jan. 30. At the same time, Duvvuri pulled his finger and junior center Raghav Chakravarti was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, but both continued to attend practices and games. The team still has multiple injuries, but they are all playing through the adversity.

“Everyone’s dealing with injuries but we’re still trying to push through the last few weeks,” Pai said. “Overall, I’ve been satisfied with this year’s season.”