Learning from its recent mistakes, Los Altos wins third game in a row

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos High’s Isaac Wilson, above, lays up a shot against Los Gatos Thursday.

The video evidence was compelling. It wasn’t just the array of errant shots but also the defensive breakdowns that made the Los Altos High boys basketball team cringe while watching tape of lopsided losses to Gunn and Mills.

“They took it to us, and that got our attention,” said coach James Reilly, whose Eagles were outscored 117-72 over the two recent games at the Burlingame Tournament. “After we watched the video, we practiced hard to correct our mistakes - especially on defense.”

The payoff came last week when Los Altos rebounded by winning three games in a row. The last of these victories was the most impressive: Thursday’s 56-53 decision over Los Gatos. The Eagles, a member of the SCVAL El Camino Division, never trailed against the team from the league’s upper De Anza Division.

“We played hard on both ends of the court,” said center Brett Perrotta, who led Los Altos with 15 points and 14 rebounds. “It really paid off on defense; we didn’t give them good looks.”

Los Altos (5-3) led by as many as 11 points before fending off a late run by the Wildcats (3-3). Los Gatos scored seven consecutive points before Isaac Wilson answered with perhaps the biggest basket of the game for Los Altos. With the shot clock winding down, the guard made a driving bank shot with his left hand to give the Eagles a 55-51 lead with just under a minute to play.

“That was a big shot - it was a huge play,” Reilly said. “After that, I thought the game was ours if we executed.”

Greg Walters countered for the pesky Wildcats, sinking foul shots that closed the gap to 55-53 with 16 seconds left. After intentionally fouling Los Altos’ Justin Arcune, who split a pair of free throws, Los Gatos managed to fire up three harmless shots - two from 3-point range - before the final buzzer.

“It was a good win,” Perrotta said. “Last year we played them tough and lost.”

The Eagles avoided that with help from forwards Erik Johnson (eight points) and Lindsay Taylor (six points off the bench).

Earlier in the week, Los Altos dispatched King’s Academy 51-47 behind Perrotta’s 15 points and edged South San Francisco 47-46 behind Arcune’s 14. Both games were on the road.

The Eagles play in the Fremont-Sunnyvale Holiday Tournament this week, then visit San Jose High Dec. 29 before opening league a week later against Santa Clara.

In other boys basketball action last week:

• Behind a season-high 27 points from Robert Bow, St. Francis remained undefeated with a 62-55 non-league win over Gunn Dec. 13. Bow connected on five 3-pointers. Shawn Grant added 12 points for the host Lancers (5-0). David Riley scored 22 points for the Titans (7-2).

• Doomed by a slow start, Mountain View fell 58-35 to Cupertino Dec. 12 in a non-league contest. The Spartans were outscored 21-8 in the first half. Jesse Griffin finished with 11 points for visiting Mountain View (5-5).

• Pinewood suffered its first loss, a 56-50 non-league setback against Evergreen Valley Dec. 11. Tyler Mosher made four 3-pointers and totaled 20 points for the host Panthers (3-1). Michel Nofal and Nick Fraioli added 16 and 12 points, respectively.