Minutes after league-leaders Milpitas nearly produced a comeback for the ages in a 41-40 Mountain View win, head coach Xavier Cook was well aware of how close to the brink the Spartans were.
“(I‘m feeling) like a cat right now. A couple of my nine lives have gone away, but it’s basketball,” Cook said. “They’re undefeated for a reason.”
What began as a seemingly comfortable 36-24 Spartans lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter almost became a nightmare as Milpitas forced 10 turnovers and went on a 16-5 run. The Trojans began with a 12-0 run at 39-24 to make it 39-36 with under two minutes left. As the tide turned against Mountain View thanks to a relentless press, the Spartans called for a timeout with 22 seconds left despite having none remaining, resulting in a technical foul of two free throws and the ball for Milpitas to make it 41-40. With all the momentum on Milpitas’ side, Mountain View finally slowed down and took a breath in the last 22 seconds, relying on its trademark high-pressure defense to force two turnovers to seal the win. Milpitas’ Sharleen Monteagudo stepped out of bounds on the first turnover with 15 seconds left, and with nine seconds remaining, Mountain View aggressively pressed Milpitas’ point guard and forced a turnover into the hands of guard Alana Hernandez, who dribbled the ball down the court for the win.
“I don’t care how you get it at the end; I’m happy about it,” Cook said. “I just wish we would play better in getting that win.”
Hernandez, who led the Spartans with 12 points, noted the final stretch filled with adrenaline and chaos was not how the Spartans wanted to play but resulted in the team playing clutch defense in the final possessions.
“I definitely think it shows us what we are capable of doing, no matter if we win by one or win by 20,” Hernandez said. “We are able to take the pressure, and we’re able to handle it however we can in order to come out with a win.”
Mountain View was in a strong position at home thanks to its play throughout the first three quarters, where it looked in total control. The Spartans built a 10-4 lead in the first quarter and had a 21-10 lead at the half, with Milpitas committing 11 turnovers. The Spartans were able to hit three 3-pointers at the end of the half while Milpitas was cold from the floor, with Mountain View’s Ellie Westgate finishing with 10 points and Mikayla Kim eight.
“We knew what we were up against, and we knew that we had to punch them in the mouth first,” Cook said of the strong start. “We couldn’t let them get off on us first at home.”
The win ensures a season split with Milpitas (14-7) and leaves Mountain View (17-5) with a chance at the league title. The Spartans are now second in the SCVAL El Camino Division at 8-2, with Milpitas 8-1 and Santa Clara 7-2. Mountain View will need help from Milpitas’ three remaining opponents to win the league.
