It was supposed to be an easy win, a warm-up before the Feb. 10 rematch against Gunn, but Los Gatos made sure that the varsity boys focused on this game and not the one on Friday.

The Vikings played strong down the stretch to secure the 59-47 win, but the game was far closer than the final score would suggest.

The Vikings (22-1, 9-0) had won 13 in a row and already defeated the Wildcats 63-40 on the road on Jan. 18. The Wildcats (7-13, 2-7) recently lost 46-48 to Fremont, their fifth loss of the year by less than five points.

Despite the mismatch on paper, head coach Peter Diepenbrock knew the game would not be easy.

“They [Wildcats] are very competitive,” Diepenbrock said. “Their zone defense has caused us problems before and they have good size.”

This was Diepenbrock’s first game after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child last Sunday.

Los Gatos understood what they were up against, but head coach Jim Marino was confident that his squad had a good chance to upset the top seed in the division.

“Paly has a lot of quickness that we need to stop,” Marino said. “We need to limit their second chance points.”

In the first quarter, the Wildcats came out determined and energetic while the Vikings appeared unenthusiastic. The zone defense of Los Gatos caused the normally poised Vikings to struggle on offense. Turnovers and bad shots by Paly gave the Wildcats a chance to take an early lead.

Los Gatos used its size to score inside as well as draw double teams, which left teammates open outside. Los Gatos did not shoot particularly well, but the Vikings uncharacteristically allowed many offensive rebounds, giving the Wildcats second and third chances.

The Vikings, needing offense, looked to senior forward Steven Brown and his outside shooting. Brown answered with 10 of Paly’s 14 first quarter points.

The Wildcats came out firing in the second quarter, taking a 19-14 lead early on, but by halftime, the Vikings had regained their one-point lead. Both teams shot under 40 percent for the half, but the Vikings’ outside shooting and the Wildcats’ second chance opportunities made up for the poor shooting.

It appeared as though the Wildcats had found the Vikings’ weakness, but coach Diepenbrock had his team energized for the second half.

“We normally have better energy on the boards and on interior defense," Diepenbrock said.

The Vikings, still unable to prevent second chances for the Wildcats, took control on offense. Senior forward Cooper Miller shot 3-3 scoring eight points in the quarter as the Vikings took a 47-38 lead, helped by Brown’s three-pointer from the corner that bounced high off the rim and back through the net at the buzzer.

In the fourth quarter, the Vikings played conservative to protect their lead. The Vikings scored only 12 points, but the Wildcats shot 4-12, scoring only nine points. Although the Vikings won by 12 points, the game seemed much closer.

The aggressive Wildcats took advantage of the referees’ reluctance to call fouls inside. Los Gatos shot only 39 percent from the floor, but had over 20 offensive rebounds leading to second, third and a couple of fourth chance opportunities. Most of those offensive rebounds were pulled down by Los Gatos center Frank Fritsch, who averages close to 10 rebounds per game.

Brown led all scorers with 21 points, and those came in only three quarters. Senior forwards Kheaton Scott and Kevin Trimble added nine and seven points respectively. Senior guard Jeremy Lin did not reach double figures, but he had eight assists. Lin, at times, appeared to be carrying the team. He appeared frustrated and often tried to do too much, but his coach doesn’t mind.

“He has a lot of confidence so he tries to find a way to get it done,” Diepenbrock said. “It usually works out for us if the end, though.”

It is unclear whether the Vikings slow start was due to their focus being on the Friday game against Gunn, but according to Lin, the Vikings will have to play better in order to beat their cross-town rival.

“We need to come out with a lot of energy and be focused on what we came here to do,” Lin said.

Ever since Jan. 20, when the Vikings pulled off a 61-55 victory over Gunn, players and fans alike have been looking ahead to Feb. 10. At 7:45 p.m. in the Gunn gym, the Vikings will enter hostile territory as they hope to remain undefeated in league.

The Titans will look to upset the Vikings and avenge their earlier loss. The waiting is over and on Friday, the city of Palo Alto will have its two powerhouses fighting for playoff seeds, but more importantly, bragging rights.