The Palo Alto High School Vikings Girls basketball team (2-2) fell Friday night to the Menlo Knights (7-1), 45-38, after being unable to close the five-point gap in the second half of a neck-and-neck game.
Heading into the game, the Vikings faced a noticeably larger Menlo roster. Despite the discrepancy in size, Viking junior Katie McCue argues that there are hidden upsides to having a smaller team.
“My personal preference is having a smaller team,” McCue said. “Even though it’s more tiring, it feels like you are more tightly-knit with your teammates, and that you have more fun at games.”
The Vikings started slow, digging themselves into a hole as the Knights got off to a quick five-point lead. The Vikings managed to put up their first points of the night on an inbound play, and later Viking freshman Kendall Kageyama stole the ball for a fast break layup, cutting the deficit to 6-7. Menlo responded, and the first quarter ended with a controversial score of 10-14 after a questionable call allowed the Knights to hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.
According to McCue, the calls were unfortunate, but this didn’t stop the team from performing.
“There were a couple of bad calls in this game,” McCue said. “But overall, the team played well.”
Menlo continued to score unanswered points in the second quarter, stretching the lead to 11-19. However, the Vikings found a rhythm, sparked by a contested layup from Viking sophomore Harmoni Jackson. Followed by Viking senior Camryn Ogawa and sophomore Abigail Neumann adding baskets to increase the run, two layups from Neumann brought the team within five points at 19-24 heading into halftime with this momentum.
The Vikings capitalized quickly to start the third quarter, with two lightning-quick scores cutting the lead to just one point and forcing a Knights timeout. After a four-minute scoring drought from both teams, the Knights hit a three-pointer from junior Sophia Longinidis, but Neumann immediately matched it with a deep three-pointer of her own. Jackson then tied the game at 30 with a rebound and put-back. However, the Knights responded with back-to-back crucial three-pointers, ending the Vikings’ run and putting the Knights back ahead by six.
As the third quarter expired, Viking sophomore Eleanor Wells posted up, drained a turnaround fadeaway jumper to beat the buzzer, bringing the Vikings within four points and riling up the bench and crowd. Vikings Head Coach Kevin Blunt appreciated the energy that the Vikings brought to this game.
“We brought a lot more energy and effort to this game,” Blunt said. “It was great seeing everyone excited for their teammates.”
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings continued to fight. An impressive defensive possession led to Jackson completing an and-one play, bringing the score close at 37-39, forcing the Knights to call another timeout. But the Knights executed well out of the break, and with the Vikings struggling to hit their free throws, the Knights extended their lead and ultimately sealed the victory.
Blunt identified his team’s struggle with closing out games, attributing it to communication and fundamental flaws rather than to Paly’s short bench.
“The fourth quarter is our Achilles heel,” Blunt said. “But our struggle in the fourth quarter wasn’t because of our short bench. Usually, on a varsity team, you really only go seven or eight deep anyway. Right now we’re just not talking out there, we’re not boxing out, and we’re not doing the fundamentals.”
Despite the loss, the Vikings’ performance was impressive, with both their offense and defense showing flashes of being elite. The Vikings also have clear areas of development, such as communication and fundamentals, which they will look to improve on heading into their next game on Monday, where they are set to play Pajaro Valley High School (1-2) at 7 p.m. on Monday in Watsonville.
