Dionte Cook scored 15 to help pace the Cats over Westmont
The Los Gatos boys have a date with St. Francis Tuesday night.
Riding the hot hand of senior Michael Hodgman, the Wildcats routed Westmont 71-57 Saturday in the CCS Division 2 quarterfinals at Foothill College.
But while the Los Gatos boys were enjoying success, the Los Gatos girls dropped a hard-fought 47-45 thriller to Aragon to end their season.
Hodgman Scores 28 in Boys’ Win
Things did not start as planned for coach Sean Cummings Saturday when senior Jeff Spagnola picked up two quick fouls early in the first quarter and headed to the bench for the remainder of the first half.
With junior Nick Lamson seeing limited action after breaking a bone in his shooting hand, the rest of the Cats’ starters got little rest. Dionte Cook kept Los Gatos in the game in the first quarter by scoring eight of the team’s 11 points as the Cats trailed by one after the first eight minutes.
Luke Hollander scored inside to start the second quarter, and Clayton Jubran drove to the goal for another basket. After Hodgman hit a three-pointer, Westmont called time out trailing 18-12.
Following a Westmont three-pointer, Hollander and Cook again scored inside, Jubran hit a three and Luke Politi added a basket and two free throws to put Los Gatos up 29-17. The teams would trade baskets the rest of the half, and Los Gatos took a 39-24 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
Westmont went on a 7-2 run to start the second half, but the Wildcats settled down and closed out the third quarter with a 10-2 run to lead 60-39.
Hodgman led all scorers with 28 points, including three three-pointers. Cook poured in 15 and Hollander 10. Jubran added nine points, Politi seven and Spagnola two.
Los Gatos advances to the semifinals where it will take on No. 1-ranked St. Francis Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Foothill College. St. Francis overwhelmed Leland 44-16 Saturday, holding the Chargers to just three field goals in the game. Palo Alto plays Mitty in the other semifinal.
Girls Drop Thriller to Aragon
It was close from start to finish Thursday night at Helm Gym, with Los Gatos and Aragon battling to final buzzer. In the end, Aragon advanced to the semifinals with a 47-45 victory.
The lead changed hands six times, but in the end Los Gatos had no answer for Aragon’s Arteivia Lilomaiva, who took over the game in the fourth quarter. The six-foot senior scored eight points down the stretch and ended the night with a game-high 15 points.
Los Gatos closed the gap to 45-43 with less than a minute to go when Melissa Wilcox hit a short bank shot. The Cats fouled, and Aragon complied by missing the free throw. Los Gatos had a chance to tie the game, but an exhausted Dana Webster missed a short bank shot with 18 seconds to play that would have tied the game.
The Cats fouled again, but this time the free throws were made. Wilcox drove the length of the floor and hit a short bank shot with 3.8 seconds to play to make it 47-45. For one final time, Los Gatos fouled and Aragon complied with a miss. Los Gatos had 2.1 seconds to tie or win the game.
But there are few options when having to go the length of the floor and shoot in 2.1 seconds. Los Gatos never got off a final shot.
The score was tied at 12 after one period, and Los Gatos used a 9-2 run in the second period to open up a 24-21 lead. But Aragon would score eight of the last 10 points of the half and lead 29-25 at the intermission.
Maddie Smedt hit two free throws and Erin Sweeney a three pointer to put Los Gatos back on top 35-33 late in the third period, but Aragon got one final basket to tie the game after three.
That’s when Lilomaiva took over. She scored three quick baskets inside to start the fourth quarter as Aragon opened up a 43-37 lead. Wilcox scored all three of her baskets in the final minutes to keep the game close.
Webster led the Los Gatos attack with 10 points, all from the field. Smedt poured in nine points and Wilcox, Jodie Lee and Courtney Mains scored seven points each. Sweeney scored three and Deana Devlin one.
Los Gatos ended its outstanding season with a 21-3 overall record.
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