GIRLS BASKETBALL: Homestead Runs Out of Steam Against Milpitas

Milpitas 42, Homestead 33

The Star: Milpitas senior guard Joann Chau finished with a game-high 14 points, including eight clutch free throws late in the game to seal the visitors win.

The Turning Point: Back-to-back triples by Milpitas senior guard Joann Chau and freshman Jalaena Bumagat erased the six-point Homestead halftime advantage in a hurry. Homestead regained control and took a five-point lead in the fourth quarter only to get a bit of déjà vu to open the final eight minutes of play. Milpitas hit a quick 3-pointer and ripped off a steal and score to tie the score up and eventually win the game.

The Quote: "I think we started forcing some shots and our offense got a little complacent." — Homestead head coach Ruby Ngo said about the change from the first half to the second for the Mustangs.

What's Next? Homestead plays at Santa Clara on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 6 pm.

Bottom Line: It was another learning experience for a young Homestead group. The Mustangs had eight different players score on the night, showcasing the deep pool of raw talent head coach Ruby Ngo has to work with going forward.

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Backed by a 20-6 scoring burst to close out the game, the Milpitas High girls basketball team survived a scared Wednesday night against Homestead High in Cupertino.

Homestead (5-14, 1-7) led by six at the half and by five points heading into the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold of the visiting Trojans in a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division contest held at Homestead High.

Eight different Mustangs scored in the game. Sophomore guard Megan Morita led the way with seven points. Senior captain Marissa Engle chipped in six points.

The loss was the second straight for the host Mustangs, dropping their El Camino record to 1-7 overall.

“I think we started forcing some shots and our offense got a little complacent,” Homestead head coach Ruby Ngo said. “It’s a process getting these young girls to understand what the game is all about.”

Homestead led by as much as nine in the games early goings, but the second place Milpitas (10-10, 6-2) squad didn’t stray too far behind. The Trojans closed the gap to only six points at the halftime break despite scoring only 12 first half points.

“Our team isn’t about one person,” Ngo said. “We have to win games as a team. We were trying some new things out there tonight. There’s definitely some positives that can come out of this game.”

Back-to-back triples by Milpitas senior guard Joann Chau and freshman Jalaena Bumagat erased the six-point Homestead halftime advantage in a hurry.

Chau finished the contest with a game-high 14 points, including eight made free throws in the fourth quarter.

“We just woke up,” Chau said about her team’s sudden offensive revival in the second half. “Those two 3’s pushed us back into the game.”

However, Homestead quickly regained the lead in the third off two straight buckets from speedy freshman guard Kameko Oshiro and a pretty jumper by junior forward Doreen Chan.

The Mustangs took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter only to get a bit of déjà vu to open the final eight minutes of play.

Milpitas hit a quick 3-pointer and ripped off a steal and score to tie the score up in a flash at 27-27.

After a hard drive and finish by junior forward Amanda Schultz put Homestead back up by two points,the Mustangs offense grinded to a halt.

Milpitas rattled off a 15-4 run in the final six minutes fueled by aggressive drives towards the rim that were either finished off with a made bucket in the lane or a  drawn foul call against Homestead.

“Tonight really proved to us what our identity is,” Milpitas head coach Klint Chang said. “It starts with our defense. Basically, the effort level of our defense picked up in the second half and our offense soon followed.”

Saratoga High currently leads the El Camino division with a perfect 7-0 record in league.

The girls basketball regular season ends on Feb. 18.

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 Scoring

 Milpitas

Pati-4

Khan-2

Chau-14

Canciamilla-5

Bumagat-4

Miley-5

Boyer-2

Holcombe-2

 Homestead

Morita-7

Weeks-5

Mower-2

Fong-5

Engle-6

Oshiro-4

Chan-2

Schultz-2