SPORTS

Leland girls’ basketball wins 45-30 over Piedmont Hills in league opener

Chargers take first quarter lead, never look back as Jackie George and Mika Yanai combine for 28 points

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

GEORGE IN THE POST. Leland center Jackie George (white jersey) led the Chargers with 16 points and six rebounds in a 45-30 win over Piedmont Hills on Jan. 7. Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com.

Led by 16 points and six rebounds from center Jackie George, the Leland girls’ basketball team opened up Mt. Hamilton Division play with a 45-30 win over Piedmont Hills on Jan. 7.

“As far as Jackie goes, I was satisfied with how hard she played tonight and the things that she did,” said Leland Head Coach Wade Nakamura. “I thought that she made a difference on both ends of the floor.”

The Chargers (6-7 overall, 1-0 league) led from the very beginning of the game, opening up the first quarter on an 11-1 run sparked by a balanced offense that contributed points in the low post and from the outside. The Chargers maintained at least a nine-point lead the rest of the way, outscoring the Pirates in the second and third quarters by a 27-20 margin.

“I think we stepped up as a team all together and we played really well,” George said. “Our guards were hitting shots and our posts (post players) were rebounding and just everything was coming together.”

Leland guard Mika Yanai, who finished the game with 12 points and five assists, contributed nine points during the 27-20 scoring span, including seven points in the second quarter to help the Leland offense.

After establishing a 13-5 first-quarter advantage, the Chargers kept expanding on their lead in the second quarter, beginning with a modest 6-2 run to go up 19-7. Later in the quarter, with the Chargers up 26-13 after a Yanai three-pointer, the Pirates closed in on Leland by ending the first half with a small 4-0 scoring advantage to cut their deficit to single digits.

“The last two days we had two great practices and I think that carried over to tonight,” said Nakamura. “I thought that we came ready to play. From the start, our goal was to come aggressive and we jumped on them early.”

With a halftime lead of 26-17, the Chargers made another run on the Pirates, opening up the second half with a 7-3 run, getting five points from George during that span to go up 33-20. Later in the third quarter, with Leland up 33-23, Charger reserve guard Amanda Do nailed two straight three-pointers from the right wing on consecutive Leland possessions to give her team a 16-point lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Chargers had a firm 40-25 lead.

“She’s been struggling in all our other games and it’s really nice for her to make those two threes and push our lead up a little bit more,” George said of Do. “…It’s just really nice for her to hit those and for her to step up so she can regain her confidence.”

The fourth quarter saw both squads sputter on offense, scoring five points each throughout the entire eight minutes of play. Leland went up 45-25 in the early part of the fourth quarter, getting a three-pointer from Kristen Yoshioka and two free throws from Yanai with 3:53 left. The Pirates finished the game with a small 5-0 run to cut a 20-point deficit to a 15-point loss.

High School Sports Schedule Jan. 14 - Jan. 20

Leland High School
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Evergreen, 5:45 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Evergreen, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ basketball at Del Mar, 5:15 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Del Mar, 7 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ soccer vs. Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.

Saturday – Wrestling tournament in Albany, all day long

Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Prospect, 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Prospect, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball vs. Leigh, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball vs. Leigh, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – JV girls’ soccer at Leigh, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ soccer at Leigh, 3:15 p.m.

Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Independence, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday - Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Independence, 3:15 p.m.


Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity girls’ soccer at Leland, 3:15 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ soccer at Leland, 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Santa Teresa, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Santa Teresa, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Westmont, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Westmont, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball at Westmont, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Westmont, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Wrestling at Yerba Buena, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Leigh, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Leigh, 3:15 p.m.

Stealth drop 14-10 home-opener to Calgary Roughnecks

Four-goal scoring run in fourth quarter gives Calgary first win this year

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The San Jose Stealth couldn’t make it two in a row against the Calgary Roughnecks, dropping a 14-10 home-opening loss at the HP Pavilion on Jan. 8. The night before, the Stealth (1-1) took a 12-10 road win from Calgary (1-2).

“I think we were riding emotion too much. We were still feeling good about the win last night,” said Stealth forward Gary Rosyski. “It was evident from the first shift that they (Calgary) wanted it more. We battled back a few times, but in the end, they gave it 100 percent and we didn’t.”

After a Brad Dairon goal tied the game 10-10 for the Stealth in the fourth quarter, the Roughnecks offense charged back, scoring three goals in just over three minutes to regain the lead. One of Calgary’s goals during that span came from forward Tracey Kelusky, who led all scorers with five goals. The Roughnecks added one more goal with 1:15 left in the game, setting the score at 14-10.

“We were scrambling the whole game,” said Stealth Head Coach and General Manager Johnny Mouradian. “From the first whistle, we just couldn’t get organized.”

For the Stealth, forward Ryan Boyle and rookie Kevin Fines led the way with two goals each, while Rosyski assisted on five goals and scored one goal as well. The Stealth’s two newest acquisitions, brothers Curt and Derek Malawsky, fared well in their debut, combining for one goal and three assists in the game.

Both players came to the Stealth in trades the day before, with Curt Malawsky coming from Buffalo for a 2006 second-round draft pick. Derek Malawsky was sent from Minnesota with a 2006 second-round draft pick for defenseman Kelly Hall and San Jose’s 2007 first-round draft pick.

After a Rosyski goal tied the game 7-7 in the third quarter, Fines gave the Stealth their first lead of the night at 8-7 with a power-play goal at 10:03, with Dairon and Rosyski assisting on the play. Less than two minutes later, Cam Woods added to the Stealth lead, putting San Jose up 9-7 on an unassisted shorthanded goal at 8:42.

“I think when we got the two-goal lead, we were really riding the emotion and we kind of let it overtake us, instead of us playing our game,” said Fines. “…We just got too frenzied. We got the crowd going and we just kind of went too much up and down.”

But the Roughnecks rebounded, scoring three goals in the last eight minutes of the third quarter to regain the lead at 10-9, with Kelusky adding his third goal of the night and assisting Kaleb Toth on another goal. With 1:16 left in the third quarter, Andrew Biers regained the lead for the Roughnecks at 10-9 with an unassisted goal.

The first half saw both teams start out slowly on offense, with Calgary taking a 3-2 first-quarter lead. After Calgary made the score 4-2 in the second quarter on a Lewis Ratcliff goal with 13:57 remaining, the Stealth managed to tie the game in just under five minutes on goals from Boyle and Curt Malawsky. Later in the second quarter, with the score 5-5 after goals from Calgary’s Kelusky and the Stealth’s Derek Malawsky, the Roughnecks went up 6-5 with 5:36 to go on another goal from Ratcliff, his second in the quarter, to head into halftime with the lead.

Pioneer crescendo silences doubters

Boys’ basketball opens 2-0 following tumultuous preseason

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

A challenging preseason appears to have paid hefty dividends as Pioneer opened Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division combat last week with two convincing wins and a message posted for the rest of the league—the Mustangs want a basketball title.

Pioneer seized victories over perennial MHAL contender Oak Grove High School on Wed, Jan. 5 before handing Branham High a loss Fri, Jan. 7.

The loss marked Branham’s first since re-joining A-League competition following reinstatement to CCS competition in 1999. Branham closed in 1991 when the school was leased to Valley Christian Schools and re-opened a couple of years ago.

According to Head Coach Joe Berticevich, the Mustangs’ 6-8 stumble to begin 2004-2005 was somewhat anticipated.

“Our preseason is designed for preparation,” said Berticevich late Sunday. “From the beginning, our whole objective is league. Everything leads up to that first game in league.”

Yet through 30 games last summer and 14 leading up to the showdown versus O.G., skeptics maintained that Pioneer would struggle through the year on account of rebuilding. Last year the team celebrated their most successful season in nearly two decades, finishing second in the MHAL before charging to the CCS Division II semi-finals where they lost to St. Ignatius.

In opposition, Berticevich remained composed.

“I expect a lot of my guys,” he said, “and they didn’t disappoint anybody this week. I had a pretty good idea of where our potential could take us but the effort in the first game was the best I’ve seen so far. Everybody really stepped it up.”

With the departure of 2003-2004 CCS Player of the Year Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, Coach B was moved to access his remaining assets in ’04-‘05. Perhaps the most profitable decision moved Senior Mark Bundlie from point guard to a 2-guard position, calling on Robbie Nelson to fill in. To date, Nelson has impressed, as has Bundlie who, already known for deadeye marksmanship behind the arc, has demonstrated excellent teamwork getting other players involved off the dribble.

“When my shot’s on that’s great,” said Bundlie. “But sometimes it’s just not there so it’s important to be able to get the other guys involved as well. And I enjoy that.”

Seniors Brent Osborne, Mike Kaufman and Joe Montolongo, who round out the starting five, have benefited as well.

Versus the Eagles, Bundlie led the way pouring in 18 points on spotless 6-6 shooting from the field. Kaufman followed with 11 points while Osborn checked in with 8.

“We just came out really strong,” said Berticevich. “We probably caught them a little bit off guard.”

The final score rolled to 53-40 with the Mustangs shocking the Eagles at Oak Grove. While Piedmont Hills is the favorite to take league, pundit predictions had slated Oak Grove to fend off Pioneer for second place. Yet, Pioneer announced their own intentions, supporting their aim to challenge for the title this season.

At home on Friday, another barnstorming first quarter granted Pioneer the cushion they needed to bury the Bruins.

After jumping out to a 16-3 lead, Pioneer fended off the trailing Branham boys long enough to secure the 52-38 victory.

Kaufman led all scorers with 12 points followed by Montolongo and Bundlie who dumped in 11 each.
For Branham, senior Craig Ryan hit for 11 while junior Jason Whitcomb dropped 9 points in.

“It’s going to take us coming out every single night and hard,” said Bundlie. “We can’t sit back and get cocky because we won two in league. We know we can score the ball but we still have to learn how to come out and stop teams on defense.”

Berticevich has looked to Bundlie for vocal leadership in addition to his role on the floor.

“Mark’s been with me the longest,” said Berticevich of his fourth year varsity veteran. “He understands the importance of league. It’s a different atmosphere out there now. There are bigger, louder crowds and rivalries. We have to come out to play every night.”

At 2-0, Berticevich and the Mustangs traveled to Leigh Wed, Jan. 12. They will rest with a bye Friday but return to face Westmont High School at home on Wed, Jan. 19. Tip off is at 7 p.m.

“We faced tough competition in preseason,” said Berticevich. “Out of 14 teams we played, probably 10 of them were above .500. Now we’re prepped and tested for league. If we just work on being consistent, knowing what we have to do in any given situation and giving 32 minutes of effort, we’ll be there.”

Currently, at 8-8, 2-0, Pioneer is locked in a dead tie with Piedmont Hills, 13-3, 2-0, for first place in the MHAL.

“It’s an even field this year,” said Berticevich. “With the exception of maybe Piedmont Hills, any one can win on any given night.”

Sports Briefs

Almaden Venom Boys Under-9 Class 3 Comp Soccer tryouts
The Almaden Venom, an U-9 Boys Class 3 Comp soccer team in AVYSL, will hold tryouts for boys born between 8/1/96 and 7/31/97 on Jan. 15 and Jan. 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Los Alamitos Elementary School for the upcoming 2005 summer/fall season. Interested players must provide a copy of their birth certificate at check-in, which begins at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Tim Mackin at (408) 997-1046 or Dave Ballard at (408) 268-1305.

Almaden Wildcats Girls Under-10 Soccer tryouts
The AVYSL Wildcats, Girls Under-10, Class 3 soccer team will hold tryouts for girls born between 8/1/95 and 7/31/96 on Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon at Bret Harte Middle School. For more information, call Ron Richardson at 408-997-6168.

Almaden Valley Girls Softball League registration for Spring 2005
The Almaden Valley Girls Softball League will hold registration for its spring 2005 season. Signups take place at Graystone Elementary School Jan. 12 from 6-9 p.m. and Jan. 15 from 9-2 p.m. New players must bring a copy of their birth certificate. 

The cost is $60 plus fundraising for the 6U and 8U divisions and $80 plus fundraising for the 10U, 12U and 14U divsions. Discounts for multiple children are available.

The Almaden Valley Girls Softball League (AVGSL) ensures that the players are in a fun, positive environment while learning and expanding their softball skills. AVGSL promotes a sense of belonging for everyone. We emphasize teamwork and the sense of individual success that contribute to team sports.

For more information, visit www.avgsl.org, or call the league hotline at (408) 808-1405.

Almaden Valley Girls Class-1 tryouts
Almaden Valley Girls Class-1 will hold tryouts on Jan 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Jan 22, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School, 1295 Dentwood Dr. If interested, contact Monica Geraghty at 927-6252 or e-mail 4mon@sbcglobal.net .

Almaden Boys U9 Class-3 tryouts
Almaden Boys U-9 Class-3 will hold tryouts on Jan 16, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Jan 23, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School, 1295 Dentwood Dr, San Jose 95118.  Birth dates between 8/1/1996 to 7/31/1997.  If interested contact Tom Geraghty at (408) 927-6252 or e-mail 4mon@sbcglobal.net.

Almaden Strikers Boys U10 Class-3 Tryouts
Almaden Strikers, a Boys U10 Class-3 teams in Almaden, will be holding tryouts on Jan. 29th, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and Feb 5th, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School, 1295 Dentwood Dr. Birth dates between 8/1/1995 to 7/31/1996. For questions, contact Lela Huenergardt at 997-8903 or e-mail coachlela2004@yahoo.com.

Mustangs resume play, but can’t find the net

A scoreless game finds defense standing tough in Mustangs second tie of season

By Carl Ponzio
Intern

Despite wind chill and sprinkles, the Pioneer girls soccer team returned home on Jan. 5 after a two-week break, and even after bearing the weather and a little rust, the defense was still able to shut down the opposition in a 0-0 tie against Santa Teresa.

There were no shrieks of excitement on Wednesday as the Mustangs battled the Santa Teresa Saints as a scoreless tie doesn’t leave room for many high-fives or pats on the back. However, it does make for a game that can hold a spectator’s attention.

The Mustang’s defense came to play, with few scoring opportunities presented to the Saints. And while the Mustang’s defensive unit played a strong game, their offense couldn’t seem to light up the score board.

“I thought it was evenly matched,” said Pioneer Head Coach Randy Worthington. “Both teams had opportunities.”

In a fasted-paced sport there aren’t many games that are considered slow, yet Wednesday’s match felt more like a pitcher’s duel than a game of soccer. And where many sigh at the glimpse of a scoreless game, others bask in the fact that a mistake on either side of the field can make for a whole new ballgame, such as the one outstanding mistake made by the Saints that nearly cost them the game.

In the middle of the first half, Santa Teresa was charged with a penalty kick. Captain Amy Cusick took the shot for the Mustangs. Missing high and hitting the crossbar, the ball fell back into play and was quickly shot into the net by junior Lauren West. It appeared that the Mustangs had taken a 1-0 lead, but to the Mustang’s dismay, the referees called the goal back. The refs explained that the ball had hit the football goal’s crossbar that sits only inches above the soccer goal, ruling the ball out of play before the goal was scored.

The remainder of the first half was a battle for possession that saw neither team come close to scoring a goal.
“We played very well in the beginning. Unfortunately, the intensity dropped off a little,” said senior goalkeeper Kalia Demarquez.

Similar to the first half of play, neither team was able to take control of the game in the second half. The game continued to be a battle for possession of the ball and saw very few scoring opportunities. When time expired, the ladies of Pioneer saw themselves with their second 0-0 tie of the season.

The Mustangs showed a strong defense in their game against Santa Teresa, but the offense struggled. Worthington felt that his team’s legs might still have been on break.

“We were sluggish coming out,” said Worthington. “I could tell the difference coming out of a two-week break.”

Cusick didn’t see it that way, noting the team’s work habits during the time they spent away from the field.

“I think we took time to rest our legs,” explained Cusick. “We had practices during the two weeks and when we came back, we knew we wanted to play hard, so we worked hard in our practices.”

High School Scoreboard

Jan. 4
Leland boys’ soccer 2-1 win at Mt. Pleasant.
Pioneer boys’ soccer 1-1 tie vs. Independence.

Jan. 5
Leland girls’ soccer 2-0 win vs. Piedmont Hills.
Pioneer girls’ basketball 62-51 loss vs. Oak Grove.

Jan. 6
Leland boys’ soccer 4-1 win vs. Leigh.
Pioneer boys’ soccer 1-0 loss at Overfelt.

Jan. 7
Pioneer girls’ basketball 42-28 loss at Del Mar.
Pioneer girls’ soccer 2-0 win at Piedmont Hills.

Jan. 10
Leland girls’ soccer 4-0 win at Branham.

Jr. Pee Wee Charger cheerleaders take 4th at national championship

Alarm clocks were ringing and Disney characters were leaving wake-up messages at 2:30 a.m. California time last month for 27 Almaden Charger cheerleaders, ages 8-11, while they were on the other side of the country getting ready for national competition.

They were only hours away from finding out they’d be bringing home a fourth-place trophy from the Pop Warner national championships in Florida. To earn a space to compete nationally, the team placed second at the Pop Warner regional championships held in Reno over Thanksgiving weekend, missing first place by only 3/10th of a point.

“One of our goals for nationals was to beat the team that beat us at regionals,” said Joan Burt, head coach of the Junior Pee Wee cheer squad.

The first place regional competitor placed 10th at nationals. The early wakeup was necessary to arrive on schedule for their early assigned performance time.

“Even though we had a set curfew the night before, it was difficult to adjust to the different time zone and so the girls relied on pure adrenalin. But parents and coaches beamed with pride when the team’s explosive energy filled the room and they performed their best ever,” said Burt.

The actual performance, consisting of dance, cheer, stunts and tumbling, lasts less than two-and-a-half minutes, but the preparation, certification, individual and team photos and warm-up process prior to performing takes hours. Then their scores had to hold while most of their competitors performed in later time slots.

“Our first hope as coaches is to ensure a positive experience for all the girls. To actually win a trophy is a dream come true since it’s difficult to beat the East Coast teams that keep their teams together year round working on skills that make them so competitive,” Burt said.

The girls performed at Walt Disney World’s Sports Complex Milk House.

Changing silent radio messages listed all the teams there for the day including the Almaden Chargers, so the girls saw their team name in lights. The girls could purchase cheer merchandise including popular national championship T-shirts (that listed the Almaden team alphabetically first among the 310 participating cheer and dance teams from across the nation who were there).

Just prior to the day’s awards presentation, the girls participated in a parade of champions along with teams and volunteer directors from the Peninsula Pacific Northwest Region. They were able to sit in anticipation on the floor among hundreds of others awaiting the results. Most teams leave with just the memory of a great experience.

Fewer walk away with trophies. Trophy winners first through fifth in each category had to meet once again after the awards ceremony for further team photos to help document the event.

Throughout the team’s visit, there was time to visit the Disney theme parks, engage in resort swim parties and meet girls from all over the United States with whom they share a lot in common. All the discussions on the buses and throughout the resorts buzzed with familiar discussions regarding the hard work and journey taken to be in the position to compete among the best Pop Warner cheerleaders in the country.

Plans are already in place to prepare for next season, which officially begins Aug. 1. Signups will start soon. In the meantime, the Junior Pee Wee cheer team will officially end their season on Jan. 22 with an end-of-season cheer party where trophies and many thanks will be exchanged and the girls will have the opportunity to tumble and dance to music provided by a local DJ.

Chargers come back to win 69-55 against Rams, start league 2-0

Leland begins Santa Teresa Division play with wins against Andrew Hill, Willow Glen

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

After stumbling out of the gates with a 2-9 record in non-league play, the Leland boys’ basketball team began Santa Teresa Division play with a bang, posting a 2-0 record last week.

After a come-from-behind 70-55 win at Andrew Hill on Jan. 4, the Chargers (4-9 overall) looked to make it a perfect 2-0 start facing Willow Glen at home on Jan. 7. The Chargers got what they were looking for, coming back from a 44-41 deficit in the third quarter to outscore the Rams 28-11 in the fourth quarter for a 69-55 win.

“We kind of figured out the things we had to do,” said Leland Head Coach Dave Frandsen of his team’s play in the second half. “At halftime, that’s what we talked about … we took care of our end of it and things just started to fall into place.”

A key player for the Chargers in the fourth quarter was forward Nav Deep Rai, who scored 11 of his game-total 15 points during a 15-2 run by the Chargers to open up the last period of play.

Down 46-43 in the early stages of the fourth quarter, the Chargers turned to Rai’s soft shooting touch from the outside to give Leland some offense. Rai responded with a jumper to close the gap at 46-45, before nailing a three-pointer from the right wing with 6:41 left to give the Chargers their first lead of the night at 48-46.
On the Rams’ next possession, Leland guard Jimi Kogura stole a pass and took the ball coast-to-coast for a lay-up with 6:34 left, before Rai put his Chargers up by 10 points with two straight three-pointers in less than a minute to complete the scoring run.

“I just let the defense get me the flow on offense,” said Rai. “A couple of steals led to the fast break and I got a few open shots that went in.”

Willow Glen spent the rest of the game trying to play catch-up, coming as close as five points midway through the fourth quarter before Leland outscored the Rams the rest of the way by a 13-4 margin.

The game didn’t start out rosy for the Chargers, who found themselves down 20-8 after the first quarter. Willow Glen opened up the game with a 12-2 run, guided by four points from Rams guard Will Robinson, who finished the night with 17 points and seven rebounds.

The Chargers seemed to find life in their offense midway through the first quarter, going on a modest 6-1 run to made the score 13-8 before the Rams outscored Leland 7-0 in the last two minutes, getting four points from Hernouk Habte and a three-pointer from Steven Skavdahl.

“They’re tough shooters and good players,” Frandsen said of Habte and Robinson. “It was a bad combination all game. They scored the points for that team. We didn’t do a great job with them if you really look at the end results.”

The second quarter started out promising for the Chargers, who went on a 10-0 run to come within two points at 20-18 before the Rams responded by outscoring Leland 9-4 throughout the rest of the first half. The Rams got four more points out of Robinson during that stretch and another three-pointer from Skavdahl, who finished the night with 10 points.

The third quarter saw the Charger offense take the Rams to task, opening up the second half with two free throws from Leland forward Danny Hamouie and a three-pointer out on the left wing from guard David Farsai to cut the Willow Glen lead to 29-27.

“It was tough because my outside shots weren’t going in at first,” said Hamouie, who finished the night with a team-high 20 points and 10 assists. “I wasn’t getting any of the calls I wanted to get, so I just kept going inside and it worked out for the best.”

Willow Glen stormed back with a 9-2 run to reestablish a nine-point lead, getting six points during that span from Habte, who finished the game with a team-high 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Chargers ended the third quarter by outscoring the Rams 12-6, getting five points from Hamouie and a three-pointer from Farsai during that stretch. Hamouie was perfect from the free-throw line in the third quarter, going 5-for-5.

As a team, the Chargers shot poorly from the free-throw line in the first half, going a combined 4-of-11 before things turned around. Leland’s free throws started to find the bottom of the net, and the Chargers ended the game by hitting 16 of 18 free throws in the second half.

“We’ve been practicing a lot more free throws in practice,” Rai said. “Coach (Frandsen) has been really hard on us. If we don’t make them, we’ve got to run. No one wants to run.”

The Chargers got their week started on Jan. 4 with a 70-55 comeback win against Andrew Hill, as Farsai led his squad with 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists, with Rai and Hamouie combining for 30 points in the win as well.

Down 30-28 at halftime, the Chargers bounced back to outscore Andrew Hill 17-6 in the third quarter to take the lead. The Chargers finished off the game by outscoring their opponent 25-19 in the fourth quarter.

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Do you have a sports story to share? Contact the sports department at 494-7000 x 217 or by e-mail at diego@timesmediainc.com or fax to Almaden Times Sports at 494-7078.