Rivalry games can bring out the best in a group, and the Mountain View boys basketball team brought energy and defense in a lopsided 30-7 halftime lead over Los Altos Friday.
Mountain View (7-7) went on a 16-2 run against Los Altos (4-8) in the first quarter, setting the tone for the Spartans to cruise to a 45-25 away win over the Eagles.
“It’s Los Altos,” Mountain View forward Jaden Feller said. “These are our rivals. You’ve got to come with energy from the get-go, and that’s what we did. We were excited to play this game, and that carried onto the floor, our energy on defense, talking; that’s what led us to that early lead.”
Momentum started early with the help of Mountain View point guard Jayden Minor, who scored 12 of the first 16 points in the first quarter for the Spartans. Minor finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists, all team highs, while Feller and guard Ben Maller had eight points and seven rebounds each.
“He’s a great passer, but when he has to be a scorer, he can be,” Mountain View head coach Kevin Mack said of Minor. “It’s a great luxury when I can say, ‘here’s the ball, go make a play for us.’”
Mack was pleased the team stayed aggressive and attacked the rim throughout the night while also pressuring the ball and creating extra possessions to end a six-game losing streak.
“Our guy’s mentality and effort tonight, especially in the first half, was really good,” Mack said.
The Mountain View defense played a key role with aggressive play, contesting Los Altos shots and tallying nine blocks throughout the night, with Feller leading the team with four blocks and Minor getting three. Mack noted Minor locking down defenders and helping off the ball is when the team is at its best. Mack also credited the aggression on offense with fueling the defense’s effort and intensity.
“Both go together, and when we’re aggressive, … we have multiple guys that can score, and it just gives us so many opportunities,” Mack said. “It’s hard to key in on one guy.”
Los Altos went on a 7-2 run at the start of the third quarter to make it 32-14, but Mountain View responded with an 11-0 run in the final few minutes of the third to make it 43-14. Los Altos travels to play Gunn (5-7) today at 7 p.m.
Friday’s victory is the first for Mountain View in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division, as the Spartans lost their first two league games against league contenders Palo Alto and Milpitas. The Spartans host Wilcox (7-4) today at 7 p.m.
“We have an opportunity to make a run now,” Mack said. “Our league is tough, top to bottom, but I feel like the two first games we had in league in Milpitas and Palo Alto, of all the first seven or eight games, those are two of the real tough ones.”
