The Mountain View girls basketball team entered the 2006-07 season with something to prove. A number of starters were lost to graduation last year, and high expectations left along with them — until now, that is.
Coming off an impressive 12-2 preseason record, the Spartans hoped to bring their momentum right into last Wednesday’s De Anza League opener against the Los Gatos Wildcats. And after fighting off a sluggish start and a pesky Los Gatos team, they did just that, cruising to a 66-54 win on their home court.
“Everyone expects us to be the worst in the league because we lost all of our seniors and we have injuries now,” said Aly Greenberg, who led a well-balanced Spartans offensive attack with a game-high 20 points. “It’s really tough, but also inspiring that a team of mostly juniors can come together like this.”
Angelica Williams also had a huge night Jan. 3, with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Natalie Warmbrodt chipped in with 12 points, while point guard Laura Bringham, the team’s lone healthy senior, kept the team on course with 5 points and 7 assists.
Despite its strong preseason record, Mountain View appeared at first to be a bit slow out of the gates. After earning a three-point first-quarter lead, the Spartans were given a taste of their own medicine when the Wildcats outscored them 17-12 in the second quarter to take a 26-25 halftime lead.
As Mountain View came out of the locker room for the second half, it became quickly apparent that the team was getting its confidence back. The Spartans proceeded to outscore the Wildcats 41-28 in the final two quarters.
“We have a desire to win, so knowing that we were losing got us mad,” says Greenberg. “We tried extra hard.”
The pattern of Greenberg’s play matched that of the team: Of her 20 points, 14 were in the second half.
“In the second half, I got into a zone,” she said. “I was getting good shots and really focusing.”
Los Gatos’ ability to get to the free throw line was a key to its early success. The Wildcats hit on 11 of 12 free throws in the first half. Los Gatos, however, only hit on 4 of 12 foul shots in the second half. Mountain View, meanwhile, shot 8 of 18 free throws for the game.
The Wildcats were led by Jenna Anderson’s 19 points and 9 rebounds. Chelsea Ryan added 16 points, while Madeline Rose contributed 12 points and 5 rebounds.
With a heaping dose of confidence and a will to prove something to all the pessimists out there, this Spartans team may turn out to be something special.
“We’ve been playing together since we were freshmen,” says Greenberg. “So we work well as a team. All of the girls on this team have a deep desire to prove everybody wrong.”
