”Team unity!” bellowed boys’ basketball coach Trevor Naas as members of his team passed the ball to each other during an afternoon practice in the gym, working their way toward the hoop. “It’s all about team unity, and that’s how we’re going to play!”

Returning to the El Camino league with three out of their five starters from last year, the boys’ basketball team looks to improve from last year’s mediocre season, in which they finished 5th place with a record of 9-15.

With just under 30 seconds remaining in a crucial league matchup, raucous chants of "T-I-N-O! T-I-N-O!" echoed about the Cupertino High gymnasium on Jan. 29. But moments later, the only noise was the sound of Pioneer fans filing out the door in disappointment, as the visiting Falcons boys' basketball team managed a last-second victory against host Cupertino.

After a slow 1-7 start, the boys' basketball team finished the non-league season strong, posting a 3-1 record over the winter break.

This four-game surge came at a good time for the Falcons, who rolled into their first league game versus Cupertino with some positive momentum.

Saratoga's winning ways continued against the Cupertino Pioneers, as senior shooting guard Daniel Chou exploded for a career-high 27 points on six three-pointers while shooting an astounding 71 percent from the field.

The Falcons’ season came to a close on March 24 as the team suffered a 47-36 defeat at Del Mar in the first round of CCS. The loss capped a season of streaky play for the Falcons, who went 11-15 overall and 4-7 in league play.

“The CCS loss was a disappointing one for the team,” said coach Trevor Naas. “It is always hard to lose that last game knowing that it puts an end to your season.”