On Dec. 3, the MVHS girls basketball team lost 44-51 in overtime to Los Altos in a tight match that ended in controversy on Dec. 3.
MVHS started strong and quickly claimed an 11-6 advantage, though both teams slowed down towards the end of the quarter, with the Spartans leading 13-9 at the end of the first buzzer.
The energy was high going into the second quarter, and the Eagles scored a series of shots that earned them a 24-23 lead at the end of the quarter.
“I think we started off pretty strong in the first quarter and had good shooting,” MVHS forward Roxie Silver said. “In the second quarter, we kind of got distracted and got a little too confident, which caused us to be down for the first time.”
The third quarter was grim for the Spartans, with the Eagles maintaining their momentum to keep their lead until the end of the quarter at 30-26.
Entering the fourth quarter, both teams traded off a few points, and the Eagles had a comfortable lead of 39-34 with about three minutes left in the game.
Tensions were high as Los Altos fought to keep their lead until senior Ellie Westgate hit a three with less than 30 seconds on the clock to tie the score at 39-39.
“I think Ellie hitting that three… was really helpful to get us into overtime,” Silver said.
The two teams traded off points, and the score rose to 44 all with one minute left. With roughly 30 seconds left in the game, a Los Altos player jumped and hit Westgate in the head with her leg as she ran toward the hoop. After some deliberation from the referees, and Westgate being assisted off the court, Westgate was deemed to have traveled, and Los Altos was awarded two free throws.
Boos erupted from the Spartans’ side of the court and some MVHS parents yelled at the referee. The booing continued throughout the rest of the short remainder of the game. The game concluded somewhat unceremoniously with the Spartans giving little contest in the final seconds. The game ended 44-51 in favor of the Eagles.
“We play Prospect at home on Thursday, and I think we’re going to come back better,” Silver said. “We learned something from today, and we’ll show it in the next game.”
