In the Division 1 Central Coast Section finals, the Palo Alto High School’s boys’ basketball team (22-5) was defeated by the Carlmont Scots (17-10) in a nail-biting 66-62 game Saturday night.
According to Viking sophomore Justin Fung, the team’s game plan was to shut down Scot’s 3-point shooters, while also applying constant pressure with a half-court defense.
“Our game plan was to stop one of their better shooters,” Fung said. “In the previous game, he went 7 for 12 on 3’s. We thought that as long as we didn’t let him get off any 3’s, they [Scots] wouldn’t be able to score enough 2’s against us.”
However, the Vikings still allowed Scot’s premier outside threat, Senior Camden Ngo, to score 24 points and 5 3-pointers.
According to Fung, the result wasn’t determined by their effort, but more by their inability to carry out their game plan.
“We needed to be better in terms of execution,” Fung said. “Our effort was there, and our mentality to win was there, but we struggled in executing our offense and defense.”
According to Viking head coach Jeff Lamere, he echoes Fung’s thoughts on the team’s effort in the game.
“We played well, and I’m glad we had a chance to come back at the end,” Lamere said. “I see this as a testament to how tough our guys are.”
Carlmont started the game off strong offensively, establishing a lead early in the first quarter. Paly was forced to call timeout but regained their momentum after Viking senior Hudson Mar scored a 3-pointer.
The Vikings continued to outscore the Scots and managed to take the lead late in the first quarter, but key plays from both teams ultimately led to a tied game at the end of the first quarter, with each team scoring eighteen points.
The Scots started the second quarter off strong, but Viking senior Jorell Clark put a stop to Carlmont’s scoring run, with a pull-up 3-pointer to tie the game. After missed opportunities from both teams, Scots senior Franklin Kuo wrapped up the first half with a steal and reverse layup in transition. The second half ended with Carlmont leading 31-28.
“At halftime we still felt fine,” Haase said. “We were down a little bit, but they hit some tough shots. We were playing well, but we just had a few mistakes that caused us to be down at half.”
Carlmont continued to hit tough shots, with Ngo opening up scoring in the second half with a mid-range jumper. Viking sophomore Justin Fung cut down on the lead with a quick putback and outlet pass for an easy fastbreak score. Ngo continued his dominance beyond the arc with another 3-pointer taking the lead back. The Scots headed into the final quarter with a 51-45 advantage over the Vikings.
The final quarter saw Clark draining critical 3-pointers to keep the Vikings in the game. However, Carlmont was awarded with two momentum shifting free throws as a result of a technical foul called on Vikings head coach Lamere, who walked onto the court during a play. The game ended in dramatic fashion, with the Vikings falling short on many crucial plays.
Despite the loss, Clark had an outstanding performance, leading the team in scoring with 34 points, and 7 rebounds.
According to Fung, this game is one that Paly wants back, but the team is only concentrated on the next.
“We need to forget about the loss and move on,” Fung said. “The next step is to focus on the state tournament, because we can make a strong run.”
With this loss, the Vikings still advance to the Division 3 CIF State Playoffs, where they faced Foothill High School Cougars (22-7) in the tournament’s first round, on March 4.