The Los Altos High boys basketball team’s losing streak has apparently spurred its winning streak.
“We’re practicing better,” said coach James Reilly after Friday’s 62-54 win at Monta Vista, the Eagles’ third in a row after dropping six straight. “Losing focuses you a little more in practice.”
Los Altos, now 3-2 in the SCVAL El Camino Division and 6-11 overall, also has a renewed focus on making the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“We’ve got three wins in five (division) games, and we need six for CCS,” Reilly said. “I think we’re capable of that.”
With seven games to play in a division in which just three teams have winning records, the Eagles seem to be in good position to finish at least .500 – the minimum requirement to make CCS.
Especially if Los Altos plays like it did Friday.
The Eagles led most of the way against Monta Vista (2-3, 7-10), which had the speed but not the size to match them. Los Altos’ offensive game plan stressed getting the ball in the post, particularly to burly 6-foot-4 center Brett Perrotta.
“We came in knowing they can’t match him and that he’d have to be big for us,” Reilly said.
Perrotta didn’t disappoint. The junior scored a game-high 22 points that included an 8-for-8 effort from the foul line.
“He’s improved his shot, especially his free throws,” Reilly said. “He’s not shooting as flat and he’s getting more confident.”
Perrotta scored 10 points in the second half – starting with a layin off a lob from Matt Favaro – and was 4-of-6 from the field.
Los Altos entered the half with only a 28-26 lead, and that was thanks to guard Kevin Shah’s 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Eagles began to pull away late in the third quarter, pushing their advantage to 40-33 when Shah scored inside on a wraparound pass from forward Rich Rullo.
But Monta Vista wasn’t through yet. The Matadors scored eight straight points in the fourth, taking a 43-42 lead on Luke Lui’s layup with 5:05 remaining.
Shah answered for Los Altos, sinking his second 3-pointer of the night. Perrotta and guard Kennie Park followed with point-blank buckets, pushing the Eagles’ advantage to 49-43.
Los Altos never relinquished the lead again, thanks to efficient shooting from the field and stellar defense from guard Evan Nelson. The Eagles shot 8-for-12 in the quarter, in which Favaro scored five of his nine points. Nelson made a steal resulting in a layup for Park and also saved a layup by knocking the ball out of bounds on a Monta Vista fastbreak.
Los Altos hosts Saratoga at 7 p.m. today.
