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Ryan Lykken hit two 3-pointers and Sebastian Chancellor made one to start the game. Paly led Los Altos 9-0 and the Vikes were psyched as the home crowd roared.
Los Altos barely blinked. The Eagles scored the final six points of the first quarter to pull within 13-10, took control with an 18-4 run in the second quarter and held on for a 65-53 victory.
“The game didn’t start the way we wanted,” Los Altos coach Trevor Naas said. “In this environment I’m really proud how the guys rolled with it. They weathered the storm.”
Los Altos opened a 10-point lead in the second quarter as Palo Alto committed 11 first-half turnovers.
The Vikings had a run left in them. Down 39-31 in the third quarter, Lucas Black converted a three-point play, Chancellor scored on a drive and then hit a 3-pointer to bring Paly even at 39-39.
But before you could say, “new game,” Los Altos responded with a three-point play by Varun Madabhushi, a 3-point shot by Zach Fagin and another 3-pointer by Madabhushi, and just like that it was a nine-point deficit for Paly, a hole it was never able to dig out of.
Los Altos (6-1, 1-0) had a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter.
Madabhushi led the Eagles with 20 points.
“He shot the ball well tonight,” Naas said. “He’s a real good shooter, but his shot hasn’t been going down lately the way he liked.”
Jake Skaggs scored 14 points, Andrew Reilly 13 and Fagin 13 in a balanced offensive attack.
Chancellor led all scorers with 22 points for Paly (4-2, 0-1). Lykken scored 16, but no one else scored more than five.
Los Altos had a big advantage on the foul line, making 18 of 27 while Paly was 7 of 10. The Eagles were also plus-eight on turnovers, committing seven to Paly’s 15.
Girls basketball
Palo Alto 32, Los Altos 29
After getting swept in a two-game series to start off last spring’s truncated schedule, Palo Alto got a measure of redemption with a hard-fought, low-scoring, defensive battle in the first game of the double header.
The Eagles only led one time in the game, after a Macy Watson basket gave them a 10-9 lead in the first quarter. They tied it on three occasions in the third quarter, the last at 25-25. A 3-pointer by Kaella Peters put Palo Alto (6-1, 1-0) ahead to stay.
“It was an off-night shooting, we pulled it out on defense,” she said. “Our ball pressure kept them out of their comfort zone.”
Peters, the daughter of Palo Alto head coach Scott Peters, led all scorers with 14 points as four of her five made field goals were 3-pointers.
Jessica Fiske played a key role for Paly with 12 rebounds.
“She’s a glue player for us,” coach Peters said. “She does a lot of things to help us win. I’d like her to dribble more and score more so we have five threats out there.”
Tara Davari led Los Altos (5-1, 0-1) with 10 points. Watson scored 9.
