The Palo Alto High School boys’ basketball team (12-1, 19-6) will advance to the Central Coast Section (CCS) semifinals after defeating Los Altos, 58-46, on Saturday afternoon at Foothill College.
This game played out like many of Paly’s previous games, with an early Viking lead followed by a mid-game lull, eventually concluding in a Viking victory. This playing style once worried head coach Bob Roehl, but he has gotten used to this messy style as the Vikings have consistently delivered wins.
“We’ve done it all year,” Roehl said. “It’s a little late to worry now. The good news is that we get up by enough, so that the lulls are okay.”
The Vikings got off to a quick start in the first half, going on a 12-point run to lead, 19-6, at the quarter.
“We played really well,” said junior forward Davante Adams, who led the team in scoring with 17 points. “We played about as good defense as we’ve played in a long time.”
Roehl was especially impressed by the team’s rebounding, which limited the Los Altos offense.
“Our rebounding [really helped us],” Roehl said. “In the first half it kept them from getting the second shot. Offensive rebounds are the highest scoring opportunity. Our rebounding kept them away from easy baskets.”
In the third quarter, however, the Vikings cooled off, scoring just six points to the Eagles’ 10.
While this lull has been a consistent problem for the Vikings, Roehl also credited it to the determination and effort of the Los Altos team.
“[The game got close] because they [Los Altos players] are competitive,” Roehl said. “I have the ultimate respect for the coach and team. Those kids never let up and they never quit. They keep coming after you and you can’t hold a good team down all game long. We had a little dip offensively and they had a swing on their offense so it closed the gap. You can’t expect to beat a team like Los Altos by 30 or 40 points.”
On the Los Altos side of the ball, senior guard Spencer Wells and sophomore forward Simon Rosenbaum added 12 and 14 points, respectively, in the Eagles’ second half comeback attempt.
“We wanted to put the game away, [but] they started to hit threes that we didn’t expect them to make,” freshman guard E.J. Floreal said.
Despite the Eagles’ rally, the Vikings iced the game in the final minutes as senior center Kevin Brown dominated the boards and added a bucket with 28 seconds left in the game.
Senior guard Brendon Rider also added a three pointer in the fourth quarter, which put Paly up 49-28 with 4:50 left to play.
“After today, I think we’re ready for the next couple of games down the stretch,” Rider said.
Adams agreed that despite the lapse in the later half of the game, the Vikings are in good shape.
“We just kind of let up [in the second half],” Adams said. “We just kind of get too comfortable with the lead, and take it as a break.”
Roehl was most impressed by the team’s strength across the board, with every player making a contribution. While he singled out junior forward Charlie Jones for his fantastic rebounding and overall contribution, which included ten points, he felt that the team as a whole earned the win. Other leading scorers included junior forward Max Schmarzo with 13 points and Brown with nine points.
“Everybody does a good job and even though Brendan [Rider] and [senior guard] Joseph [Lin] didn’t score much today, their defense was awesome, and other guys were scoring,” Roehl said. “Our rebounding kept them away from easy baskets.”
While the Vikings play with some inconsistencies, Roehl knows that these don’t matter as long as the team can pull out with a win.
Roehl added, “We don’t get any style points in play-offs.”
The Vikings take on the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs, who beat Sobrato High School, 74-53, in the CCS semifinals on Tuesday night at Foothill College.