Spartans squeak by with free throws Spartans squeak by with free throws (January 23, 2004)

Mountain View girls undefeated in conference

By Reza Kazempour

By taking advantage of fouls, the Mountain View girls' basketball team used last minute free throws to secure a 44-43 victory over the visiting Santa Clara Bruins last Friday.

Mountain View's final five points came from the line and allowed them to send the Bruins home with a loss.

After being rejected by the Bruins the entire night for control of the game, the Spartans made a final push to earn a victory that gives them a 3-0 record in conference play.

Santa Clara had control of the game offensively, but its defense collapsed in the final quarter.

The barrage of fouls followed by free throws began when Mountain View forward Peyton Paulick was fouled by Bruin defenders with 4:35 remaining in the game.

Her persistence and patience paid off as she was fouled twice more following that play. Paulick capitalized on the defensive errors and made five of the six attempted free throws. She went on to finish the night with 11 points, seven of which came from the free throw line.

Spartan guard Biz Lynch then took a turn in the spotlight. After Paulick missed her final free throw, Lynch went around a Bruins defender to pick up the loose ball and was fouled in the process. She made one free throw to tie the score, but the game was still up for grabs.

When the Bruins lost the ball on a new possession, Lynch picked it up and was fouled again. With two shots from the line, she made one and secured the home team's victory. Lynch ended up with seven points and a strong second half performance.

The game came down to the final minutes because Santa Clara was successful in breaking away from the Spartan defense earlier in the game. Bruins guard Oanh Phan made three three-point shots, all of which went uncontested.

The Bruins' Stefanie Machado was also left alone under the basket on several occasions in the second half. The Spartans, who doubled-teamed on an incoming Phan, were unable to react to balls sent to Machado. Machado ended up with a game-high 18 points.

The win allowed the Spartans to remain undefeated in their conference and gave them a 10-7 overall record. Their next game will be at home on Friday against the Los Altos Eagles starting at 6 p.m.
Soccer tryouts

Tryouts for Stanford's JV Class 1 CYSA boys' soccer team will be held on Jan. 24 and Jan. 30 at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. Coached by former U.S. World Cup team member and European league player Chris Sullivan, the team is one of only two Class 1 boys' teams in Palo Alto. For more information, contact Tami at 321-9722.

E-mail Reza Kazempour at sports@mv-voice.com

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