After losing to the Vikings a week earlier, MVHS secured an easy victory against Fremont High School on Feb. 11. The Matadors kept up a wide lead the entire game. They were up 16 points at halftime, and FHS trailed by 24 points after the third quarter. MVHS’ calm but focused play ended the game 43-23.
MVHS shot consistently and frequently, interrupted only occasionally by an FHS basket. However, after seeing their fair share of comebacks this season, the Matadors stayed focused.
“We were confident, but also on our guard,” junior Julie Chen said. “During halftime, [coach Sara] Borelli said, ‘Don’t sleep on them.'”
Senior Christina Jennings and sophomore Rhea Rangarajan’s consistent shooting created the lead in the first half, and Pollek’s aggressive blocks and dependable rebounding prevented FHS from scoring in the second.
“We didn’t let our lead get to us,” Rangarajan said. “We just kept playing hard. We had fun.”
With three minutes left in the game, the Matadors continued to shoot. Senior Anna Tedijanto was fouled in the act of shooting and took free throws. She made both. The Matadors were up 21 points. In the final seconds, FHS made a free throw of their own, but it was too late. MVHS had won the game long before, and they gave each other exhausted grins as they jogged off the court.
After the game, the team buzzed around the gym, filing into the elevator to transport chairs before passing out secret sister presents.
Most players picked up their duffel bags and headed out, but a few settled on the floor, including senior Kaisa Rautiainen and junior Alyssa O’Neill. Team manager junior Ally Malone stood beside them, talking while watching Pollek and Hamwi take turns hurling the ball down the court. The players glanced up, half admiring their near shots and half heckling their complete misses.
“Just do it from half court,” Malone said finally.
“That’s not as good,” Hamwi said.
“Well, you’re never going to make it from there,” Malone said.
Hamwi lobbed the ball a final time as he shouted “Money!” and it scraped the backboard as it fell to the ground, one of their closest shots yet. They decided to end on a good note before walking away, and the team is looking to do the same in their last stretch of games. The day’s match erased the bitter taste of last week’s game, and the team believes they can keep it up for a few more weeks.
“You never expect to win by such a large margin,” Rangarajan said. “We improved our defense, we never let our heads down. We continued to play our game.”
Girls basketball’s Senior Night ceremony and game against Cupertino High School is on Feb. 20 at 6:15 p.m.
Photos by Justin Kim
