The girls’ basketball Vikings experienced the peril of a tenuous lead during their game against the Los Gatos Wildcats on Jan. 31. The Lady Vikes maintained a hazardous 2-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but came out on top with a final score of 45-33.

The Lady Vikes, (15-8, 6-2 league) incumbent De Anza league champions, have only four games of league play left to secure the title and to qualify for the first round of CCS. However, with two-thirds of the league schedule already behind them, the fourth-seeded Vikings’ most critical matches still lie ahead.

"I’m pretty sure we’ll make it [to CCS]," sophomore guard/forward Rachel Pecota said. "At this point we’re aiming for a spot at the championship game."

Last year, the Lady Vikes fell just short of this goal, ending their season with a disappointing 66-38 loss to first-seeded Archbishop Mitty in the CCS semifinals.

Wednesday’s tension-filled game started off unusually slow, with the Vikings making uncharacteristic mistakes. Unable to find a steady rhythm until the last quarter of the game, or to mount an effective defense, the Lady Vikes struggled throughout the first half.

The game began when Pecota out-jumped Los Gatos to capture the tip-off. Two minutes into the quarter, the Lady Wildcats led 4-0 thanks to two consecutive layups. The Lady Vikes, with a sparse defensive line and weak offensive charges, cut the lead in half with a field goal from freshman Alex Nguyen, scoring right as the shot clock expired. As both teams stumbled through the quarter with sloppy plays, each gained points through free throws. Nguyen brought Paly within two points of Los Gatos with a shot from the side of the basket, ending the first period 7-5 in favor of the Wildcats.

Going into the second quarter, Paly head coach Scott Peters relied on his regular starters – Pecota, Nguyen, senior guard/forward Katie Barich, sophomore guard Olivia Garcia, and junior forward Nicole Behr – to lead the Vikings out of their lethargic start. The Lady Vikes immediately began their comeback. Within the first ten seconds, Behr scored on an assist from Barich, tying the score at 7-7.

The Lady Vikes, frantically trying to assert their control over the Lady Wildcats, began fouling recklessly. The Wildcats, however, squandered this opportunity to score, missing all the subsequently awarded free throws. The most notable performance of the first half came from sophomore guard Kiley McDermott, who led the Lady Vikes to a 17-14 lead at halftime.

The Wildcats seemed to have boosted their spirits somewhat as they entered the third with renewed energy, but still trailed 31-29 by the end of the third quarter. The Vikings, on the other hand, burst upon the court with a surge of momentum, and set up some spectacular plays that required immense coordination. The most impressive play involved Pecota handing the ball off to Barich, who made a full-court pass to Nyugen, who assisted McDermott in a stunning 3-pointer, eliciting jubilant cheers from Paly fans. Los Gatos’ offense in the third quarter came from the foul line where the Lady Wildcats hit nine free throws.

In the fourth quarter, Paly employed a different plan than usual, one that involved slowing down play by wearing down the shot clock.

Los Gatos, trying to pick up the lead, sustained an intense full-court press, seizing the slower pace as an opportunity to double-team players with the ball in the backcourt. By the time the Vikes were able to get near the arc, there was hardly more than ten seconds remaining on the shot clock. The Wildcats’ defensive strategy disabled the Lady Vikes from setting up efficient plays, thus weakening the Vikings’ offensive presence.

A combination of bad passing and fatigue led to a prolonged period of limited scoring. At the top of the fifth minute, Paly sophomore Lizzie Henehan initiated the scoring with an assist from Barich. The Lady Vikes tried to make multiple full-court drives, but all were futile.

The last minute of the quarter was undoubtedly the most eventful of the game. Going into the intense round of scoring, Paly led 35-33. The Lady Vikes scored ten points in the final minute, sealing the victory. The tension took a heavy toll on the Lady Wildcats, who resorted to overly aggressive play to ware out the Lady Vikes, but the Vikings pulled through with a 45-33 win.

By the end of the game, the girls agreed on their sub-par performance.

"We’re definitely going to need to step up our game if we want to be successful," sophomore Henehan said. "There’s no doubt we can do it. It’s just a matter of preparedness."

The Vikings next face Wilcox on the road at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7, before coming back to Paly for a face-off with cross-town rival Gunn at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9.