This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

BOYS BASKETBALL: Los Gatos Drops Home Game to Lynbrook

Wildcats' comeback falls short against Vikings in 52-51 defeat.

The Score: Lynbrook 52, Los Gatos 51

The Star: Senior Nick Lamson scored 14 points on the night and hit two 3-point shots in the second half.

The Turning Point: Los Gatos hit six 3-pointers in the first three quarters to help pad its lead but went cold from behind the arc in the final quarter, which allowed Lynbrook to get back into the game.  

Find out what's happening in Los Gatoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Quote: “We made too many little mistakes throughout the game,” said Los Gatos coach Sean Cummings. “We played well at times and we’re quick enough to match up with anybody; we just have to play better.”

What's Next? Los Gatos hits the court next against Homestead in Cupertino on Friday.

Find out what's happening in Los Gatoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Bottom Line: Even with the free-throw chances heavily in the road team’s favor, Los Gatos proved that its offensive can be explosive.

___________________________________________

After losing to Gunn a week ago on the road, Los Gatos hoped to earn its first league win in front of its home crowd on Tuesday.

But the feisty Lynbrook Vikings had different plans for the Wildcats. The Vikings held onto a late lead to win 52-51 against the Wildcats at Helm Gym in Los Gatos.

“It was a very exciting game,” said Lynbrook coach Tim Kenworthy. “Both of our teams have struggled the last couple of games. Both (teams) were really hungry to get a win, and I think that showed with how hard both teams played.”

Led by senior Patrick Fang and junior Alex Ma, the Vikings earned their first league win on the season. Fang and Ma contributed 17 and 13 points respectively and played strong defense to help fend off Los Gatos late in the game.

The loss dropped Los Gatos to 0-2 in league play. Wildcats coach Sean Cummings said his team played well but said mental errors wound up costing his team a victory in the end.

“We made too many little mistakes throughout the game,” Cummings said. "We had miscues that would cost us a possession, and until we figure that out, it’s going to be tough for us to be successful. We played well at times and we’re quick enough to match up with anybody; we just have to play better.”

Los Gatos started off the game on fire and took an early 11-4 lead. Five different Wildcats’ players found their way onto the score sheet, and Lynbrook was forced to use a timeout early to get his players on track.

The Vikings took an early lead with the help of seniors Nick Lamson and Dionte Cook, who each scored six points in the first half.

“They played well,” Cummings said. “There’s times when they have to play a lot of minutes, and it’s tough for them sometimes. But they can definitely score, and they’re our main two guys. And as they go, we go.”

With the height advantage going to Los Gatos, Lynbrook relied on its speed and grit to fight its way back into the game.

Both teams traded leads in the second quarter as players from both squads stepped up the tempo. With less than five seconds to go, Fang drove to the basket and scored to tie the game at 29.

The second half started much like the first quarter, with the Wildcats going on an 8-0 run, forcing Lynbrook to make another comeback.

Lamson and Cook scored eight and six points respectively, and each hit two 3-point shots in the final half. Junior Clay Jubran scored six of his 10 points in the final two quarters as well.

Los Gatos hit three 3-point shots to go up 43-39 heading into the final quarter, as it looked as though the Wildcats would easily put away the visiting Vikings.

However, the Wildcats went cold from 3-point land in the fourth quarter after being hot from behind the arc in the first three quarters. Los Gatos only made two 3-point shots in the final frame, which allowed Lynbrook to make its final comeback.

Lynbrook held off Los Gatos in the final minute as the Wildcats three up a flurry of shots in the final minute of play.

Lamson hit a 3-point shot with three seconds left on the clock to bring the Wildcats to within one, but the home team was unable to retrieve the ball.

Los Gatos hits the court next against Homestead at in Cupertino on Friday. Cummings said he hopes his team can work on the basics during practices leading up to the road match.

“We have to fix the little things,” Cummings said. “Once we have all five guys doing their job, we’ll be all right. But we don’t have that right now, so that’s what we’ll work on.”

 .....................................................................................................................

Los Gatos Top-3 Scorers

Lamson – 14

Cook – 12

Jubran - 10

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?