Eagles end up on wrong side of close game Eagles end up on wrong side of close game (January 30, 2004)

Fourth quarter plays decide outcome

By Reza Kazempour

To lose a game in the final minutes is always hard to endure. To lose a controlled lead in the final minutes is even harder. And that was the way it ended for the Los Altos boys' basketball team on Tuesday night when it hosted the Cupertino Pioneers.

The Eagles' foul trouble and failure to execute in the final quarter allowed the Pioneers to rally in the final quarter and walk away with a 48-46 victory.

"[We] just stopped executing offensively," said Eagles head coach Josh Waldorph. "I don't know if it was a collapse. It was that we just stopped executing, and we let them get back in the game."

After outscoring the Pioneers 30-25 in the first half, the Eagles only posted 12 points in the third quarter. The Pioneers opened up the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run and allowed just four Los Altos points.

The Eagles lost their lead at the 40-40 mark when Pioneer forward Jonathan Hiley went inside the paint to sink a basket. He went on to contribute two more points from the free-throw line, which gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the night at 46-42.

The Eagles still had a chance to come back and take the game. Eagles' forward Shawn Girouard tied the game at 46 all with 1:50 remaining when he pushed past Pioneers' center Clay Stiver for a fadeaway shot.

But despite the relentless effort to tie the game again, the Eagles committed a foul on Hiley, who ended the game with 10 points, eight of which came from the free-throw line. At the line for the last time, Hiley sunk in both free shows.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, the Eagles had one more chance to tie the game.

Guard Kenny Park was given the chance to finish off the game with a three-point attempt. Park, who led the game in first-half scoring with 10 points, failed to make the three-point basket. He ended up with 10 points for the night, as the Pioneers were able to muffle his efforts in the second half. Then after stealing the ball in the final seconds, Park was unable to get control of it before the game ended.

"We got a little stagnant," said Waldorph. "I think the momentum was fine until the fourth quarter. In the third quarter, we still had the lead. We executed defensively. I don't know what happened, I guess they got a little panicked."

Said Pioneers head coach Craig Ellegood, "I think we just started moving up field a little more, and we had a little more sense of urgency because we realized if we didn't change things we were going to lose."

In the first half, Eagles moved the ball well and executed their plays according to plan. In the first quarter, Park created two three-point plays after being fouled on his baseline drive attempts.

Center Kevin Riley led the game with 13 points, including points he earned on a baseline reverse drive during the start of the second quarter.

Pioneers guard Brent Horiuchi turned out to be the key player in the Pioneers' win. He led Cupertino with 12 points, all of them from field goal attempts. After failing to bring down several defensive rebounds, the Eagles weren't quick enough to follow Horiuchi and prevent him from his baskets.

The loss moves the Eagles to 3-13 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The Pioneers move to 10-10 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

The Eagles' next home game will be on Feb. 4 against the Monta Vista Matadors at 7 p.m.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.