The Los Altos High School varsity boys basketball team lost 39–45 to Mountain View High School in a close game on Tuesday, January 30. LAHS Blue Crew and Spartan fans alike crowded the stands for the highly anticipated rivalry game.

Mountain View started the game fast, never using the full shot clock on offense and playing an aggressive pressure defense. The Eagles quickly adjusted, ending the first quarter down by only 1 point. In the second quarter, the Eagles sunk two 3-pointers in a row to tie the half 21–21.

Returning from the first half, the Eagles had a fresh start with the tied score. Entering the bonus with two minutes left in the third quarter, the Eagles’ defense began slipping, but their offense stayed strong. The Eagles ended the third quarter 32–31 with a 1-point lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles’ troubles escalated: They weren’t able to keep up with the Spartans’ offense and let their defense slip. The Spartans took advantage and scored 5 points from bonus free throws in just the last five minutes, and the once-tight game slipped decidedly in Mountain View’s favor, and the Eagles lost 39–45.

“In the second half, we just let the speed of the game catch up to us,” senior Manu Shankar said. “We forced a lot of shots, we just didn’t move the ball enough and didn’t get into the offense. On the defensive end, we didn’t talk enough either.”

When asked to compare their close win against the Spartans previously in the season to their loss on Tuesday, junior Colin Chou acknowledges the team’s strengths in their earlier rivalry matchup.

“We made a lot more threes at Mountain View than we did here, I just think we shot better overall percentage-wise,” Colin said.

Despite the loss, it will be important for the Eagles to learn from this game. With one game left in the regular season, the Eagles will face off against Milpitas on Tuesday, February 13.