In the nightcap of the Monta Vista Holiday Tournament Thursday night, the host Matadors were stunned 49-45 by Gunderson. With the victory, the Grizzlies (4-4) advance to the semifinals Friday night against Tennyson, which defeated Capuchino in another first-round matchup. Monta Vista (4-6) moves into the consolation bracket and will face Capuchino Friday afternoon (3:30 PM).
Although the score between the two teams never differed by more than a few points, it was a constant uphill battle for the Matadors. The Matadors trailed throughout the first half, ending the first quarter down 14-11 and the first half trailing 24-19.
Down 38-33 at the end of the third quarter, Monta Vista went on a 5-point run to tie the game at 38-38. However, Gunderson answered right back and was able to hit its foul shots down the stretch to hold off the Matadors.
Mohamed Ali and David Awolowo led Gunderson with 12 points apiece. Ramana Keerthi went for 16 points in a losing cause for the Matadors.
"You know it's a young group right now and we went through a lot of adversity last year in regards to really help the guys understand what it is to get to that next level," said Gunderson coach Mike Allen, referring to a situation last season in which 13 varsity players quit the team en masse in a story that received national attention. "Close games are [going to be routine] for the guys throughout the whole season so what I'm seeing is that they're learning how to hold their composure and understand what leadership is all about. They're building that structure that they need in order for them to be successful."
