Palo Alto High School's sports news magazine

Viking Magazine

Palo Alto High School's sports news magazine

Viking Magazine

Palo Alto High School's sports news magazine

Viking Magazine

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Paly girls’ basketball defeats Gunn High School 49-45

Alexis+Harris+%2816%29+follows+through+on+her+free+throw+in+the+second+quarter.+The+Vikings+went+on+to+defeat+Gunn+High+School+49-45.+
Alexis Harris (’16) follows through on her free throw in the second quarter. The Vikings went on to defeat Gunn High School 49-45.

The Paly girls’ basketball team defeated Gunn High School 49-45 on Saturday night during the last Paly vs. Gunn Quad Night.

The Lady Vikes started the night out strong with a 3-pointer from Maddie Atwater (’16). This three pointer started off Paly’s lead, which they maintained throughout the game.

“It was all our girls’ effort,” head coach Scott Peters said. “We’ve had a few losses, but they haven’t gotten down. They’ve kept working hard. Gunn is a good team, and we played hard.”

At the end of the 2nd quarter, Paly led Gunn 27-20. The Vikings continued their lead into the second half, excelling at defense and attacking the basket.

“We usually hit a lot of threes, but today there was more driving to the basket,” Peters said. “I was very proud of all of their efforts and the way that they kept working.”

Due to their poor result from last year against Gunn High School, the team was excited to pull out a win against their rival.

“Considering last year, this was probably the greatest win of the season,” Atwater said.

Teamwork was a large component of Paly’s win. The score was close throughout the game, and the team had to excel offensively in order to keep their lead.

“We couldn’t have done it without each other,” Atwater said. “We were talking on the court, we made the extra pass and we executed on offense.”

During the end of the 4th quarter, Gunn closed in on the Paly lead, trailing by only three with ten seconds left in the game. This close game forced the Vikings to work together for the win.

“We had to have will today,” Siggi Bengston (’16) said. “We had to push it out at the end. We let them come back too quickly; they were way too close. To keep going and to keep pushing showed real teamwork and this was the best game to come together.”

Although the Titans tightened the lead at the end of the 4th quarter, the Vikings showed their ability to stay calm during a close game.

“Composure was our biggest strength,” Peters said. “We’ve had games where we’ve won by twenty or we’ve lost by five or six. This is the first league game we’ve won where it was close.”

This win against Gunn brings Paly to a 3-4 league game record. The Vikings play Lynbrook High School at home on Tuesday, February 4th.

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About the Contributor
Megan Valencia, Business Manager
Megan is a senior at Palo Alto High School. She plays lacrosse and soccer for Paly, and loves to support the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. In her free time, Megan enjoys playing with her dogs, visiting family, and baking cookies.[singlepic id=169 w=320 h=240 float=none]

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