Mills buries Carlmont

The Mills High boys' basketball team learned some valuable lessons in a 14-point loss to Carlmont earlier in the season. On Wednesday, the Vikings put those lessons to good use. Host Mills rolled to a 49-31 Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division victory. "We needed to play tougher," Vikings coach Rick Hanson, referring to his team's 54-40 loss to Carlmont on Jan. 15. Hanson also noted his players had to put forth a more concentrated effort on rebounding and playing solid, fundamental defense. Namely, keeping Carlmont's players in front of them. Offensively, Hanson wanted his players to take better angles to the basket. Mills (5-2 PAL Bay, 15-6 overall) accomplished all of those goals and then some in the rematch. Playing inspired from the opening tip, the Vikings were aggressive taking the ball to the basket, ferocious on the glass and not gambling for steals on defense. The final score belied an exciting, back-and-forth first half that featured four ties and 11 lead changes. There was one dizzying stretch midway through the second quarter in which the teams traded the lead six times in a three-minute span. But when Darryl Wong made two free throws to give Mills a 21-19 lead heading into halftime, it marked the beginning of the end for Carlmont (5-2, 17-4). The Vikings outscored the Scots 17-4 in the third, and by the end of the quarter Carlmont coach Dave Low had most of his starters on the bench. Mills point guard Kyle Wong keyed the pivotal third-quarter surge, scoring 12 of his game-high 23 points. Wong was so dominant in the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds of the quarter that he outscored Carlmont 10-0 all by himself. The ultra-quick Wong started his personal run with a 3-pointer from the right wing, then ended the blitz by making three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. "It (avenging the earlier loss) played a big part," Wong said. "This game was all or nothing. Win and get into the mix (for a division championship) or lose and we're out." Both Carlmont and Mills have three games left in the regular season to try to catch Burlingame, which in all likelihood will win an eighth consecutive PAL regular-season title. The Panthers are a perfect 7-0 in league action after beating Terra Nova on Wednesday. Kyle Wong and his teammates watched film of their earlier loss to Carlmont. Wong, in fact, watched the game film three times, intent on picking apart his team's shortcomings. He didn't like what he was watching. "I saw a lot of defensive mistakes and we didn't have a game-face demeanor," Wong said. "The film doesn't lie. You can't make excuses after watching film because it tells you everything you need to see." Once again, Kyle Wong and Darryl Wong (no relation) were instrumental in riding Mills to victory. They pushed the ball aggressively up the floor, got to the basket off dribble penetration basically whenever they wanted and didn't settle for outside jump shots. While Mills executed its game plan, the opposite could be said about Carlmont. Scots coach Dave Low was none too pleased with what he saw on the floor, especially when the game got out of hand in the third quarter. "The bottom line is Mills played a very good game and we didn't have it in all aspects (of the game)," Low said. "We had a scouting report that some kids didn't follow real well. Other than (James) Testa, I don't know if I can tell you who played to their capability. Sometimes you can get away with your starters (not playing to their potential), and other times it haunts you. Today it haunted us." Testa was the only Carlmont player to hit double figures, finishing with 14 points. Scots point guard Suhail Mohammadi was held to a season-low five points, 11 below his average. It was that kind of a game for the Scots, who attempted only one free throw all game. Mills, on the other hand, finished 19 for 21 from the line. When noted of the disparity, Hanson grinned before saying, "Not bad." Then again, perhaps it shouldn't be so surprising the Vikings got to the line time and again. Usually it's players from the winning team who are taking it to the basket strong. In the first Carlmont-Mills matchup, the Scots had a nice advantage at the free throw line. And when Mills dropped a 49-40 decision to Burlingame two weeks ago, the Panthers went to the line more often. In essence, Wednesday's rematch was all about a good Mills squad making some adjustments, playing tougher and turning the tables on an equally tough Carlmont team. In theory, two sides that are pretty equal in talent in the Scots and Vikings should produce close outcomes, but in two games the winning team has been victorious by a margin of 14 and 18 points, respectively. "I don't know, I can't explain it," Hanson said. "I'll take the wins as they come." Low had an explanation for part of the reason for his team's loss: "We were a little impatient on shot selection, and that kind of led them breaking out (for fastbreak layups). To me all losses are disappointing. The mark of a good team is what is practice going to look like (the next day). "I think our guys tried hard, but there's a difference between trying hard and being under control. I hate to say it but this is the varsity level, and by now our guys should have it figured out. The starters weren't getting the job done and they weren't going to get us back (in the game)." Even though Mills can get up and down the court with the best of them, it often plays under control. The Vikings committed only 11 turnovers on Wednesday, and in a 63-45 win over Menlo-Atherton on the opening day of league play, their starters finished with just seven turnovers. High school teams rarely finish with single-digit turnovers, so when the Vikings take care of the ball they're awfully tough to beat. That along with displaying intensity on the defensive end of the floor. "We wanted to be tough defensively and be hungry to want the ball," Kyle Wong said. "Everyone was ready for this game." It showed.