Boys’ basketball held off Miramonte to win 67-51 at home on January 31 in front of stands packed with both vocal supporters and boisterous hecklers.

“It is the biggest rivalry game that we have. It has been a long time that we have swept them, and that is our goal this year. With the crowds this year, both ours and theirs, it is definitely a game to remember,” said starting point guard Scott Chen.

Coach Matt Watson said setting up the offense was critical. “We are a good defensive team, and that is our point of emphasis. Offensively, it is the same thing. We just need to share the ball, [and] get the ball moving. Once we do that, we are a pretty dangerous team, because we can shoot the 3 [pointer], or we can go inside to the big man, and he [Chris Hansen] will throw down some thunder dunks,” he said.

The Cougars held a 12-7 advantage at the end of the first period.

Watson believed that out-rebounding Miramonte was the key to their 1st quarter success. “I think that we missed our first 7 shots, but we got 6 offensive rebounds to combat that. We got after them, and demoralized them doing that,” he said.

In the 2nd quarter, Campolindo went on a 14-5 run while the Mats struggled with fouls. The Cougars led 34-19 at the half.

However, Miramonte bounced back in the first 4 minutes of the 3rd quarter with a 15-7 run.

According to Miramonte head coach Drew McDonald, taking open shots was the game plan for the 3rd quarter. “We talked at halftime about taking open shots. As simple as that sounds, it can be complicated sometimes,” he said.

Watson was pleased with the way his players maintained their focus. “Just to not lose our compose. If we stick to our game plan, we are usually okay. These guys do a great job, and they know how to run their stuff. They are unflappable. I do not think that anything bothers them,” he said.

Junior forward Austin Clarke said after giving up the early points, they bounced back by playing their own game. “We a team like that starts getting points on the board, and starts to comeback, we just had to take a deep breath. It is our game, and we need to make them play it like that, and once we do that, we take over again,” he said.

Campolindo outscored Miramonte 19-14 in the 4th quarter.

Clarke believed that scoring 67 points is a strong representation of their hard work in practice. “We worked out where the holes were on their defense, and worked out were to find good looks, and it cashed out for us tonight,” he said.

“I think that we need to play more as a team. I think that we can get the ball to Chris [Hansen] a bit more,” Chen said.

Campolindo’s record improves to 17-2, and their win streak is now 12 games.