The Los Altos High School varsity boys basketball team faced off against rivals Mountain View High School in a highly anticipated game at home on Wednesday, January 25. The home crowd was in full capacity, loudly cheering on their beloved Eagles. 

The game began with a strong defensive start for the Eagles, but the Spartans were able to sink their shots, ending the first quarter with a 10–7 lead. But the second quarter proved to be a turning point for the Eagles. They continued to showcase impressive defense, ultimately winning the quarter 15–6 and leading at halftime with a score of 22–16.

“We played good defense for a long stretch,” Head Coach James Reilly said. “That was our best part of the game.” 

This was evident in the fact that Mountain View only scored six points in the second quarter and 16 points in the entire first half. This was a significant improvement for the Eagles, as the Spartans have averaged 28.1 points in the first half alone this season.

Unfortunately, the Eagles struggled in the third quarter, committing multiple turnovers and allowing the Spartans to sink three-pointers. This led to a 14–7 quarter win for Mountain View, leaving the game at a close 30–29 score with a quarter left to play.

The fourth quarter proved to be a similar challenge for the Eagles. The Spartans scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, which made all the difference. They seemed to be in control of the game, capitalizing on the Eagles’ turnovers and ultimately winning the quarter 20–10 and the game 50–39.

“I think we can definitely get better at handling the ball,” junior Manu Shankar said when reflecting on the team’s performance after the game.  “We had a lot of turnovers.” 

“We got impatient, we didn’t handle the ball well, and we didn’t get good shots,” Reilly said. 

The Eagles put up a strong fight against the Spartans but ultimately fell short in the fourth quarter. Reilly summed it up best.

“We were very close, but we couldn’t sustain it in the fourth quarter,” he said. 

Despite the loss, the home crowd remained supportive and proud of their team’s efforts. The Eagles will look to improve and come out victorious in the next game.