Tag Archives: boys basketball

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Burbank Boys Basketball Sneak Into Playoffs

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Burbank High's defense will be put to the test if they want to advance Friday night ( Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The waiting game now over, the Bulldogs can get ready for their opponent on February 17 in the form of an at-large spot and Chino Hills. Better news for the Burbank boys’ basketball team is that they will host the Huskies Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.

The Huskies were 16-10 on the regular season and 6-4 in the Sierra League — a league the Pacific League is often paired with come CIF Southern Section playoff time. Chino Hills finished third behind Damien and Ayala highs.

Burbank finished 6-8 in the Pacific League race and behind Muir, Pasadena, Crescenta Valley and Glendale highs — the last via a tie-breaker having been swept by the Nitros in the regular season. The Bulldogs were 14-13 overall.

Chino Hills features a balanced attack with three players averaging more than a dozen points per game. Michael Navar (12.9 points-per-game), Cameron Curry (12.5 ppg) and Deion Page (11 ppg) lead the Huskies offensively.

Andre Spight’s return from an injury has sparked the Bulldogs offense of late. Spight scored 27 points in the season finale against Burroughs and promised Burbank would “make some noise” in the postseason after the game.

Caine Brown Kennedy — a junior transfer from Las Vegas — and Remi Youssefi are also key pieces for Burbank.

Bulldogs Can Only Play Waiting Game After 60-49 Victory Over Indians

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Burbank High had an answer for Burroughs as they defeated the Indians 60-49 Thursday night at Burroughs ( Photo by Ross A. Benson)

It is going to be a long weekend for the Burbank High boys’ basketball team. Not only because of the President’s Day Holiday on Monday that they and the rest of their classmates will enjoy, but because they will anxiously await the CIF Southern Section to release the playoff brackets following Pacific League action which ended on February 9.

The Bulldogs took care of what they controlled, beating rival Burroughs, 60-49, but learned just before tip-off that Glendale had also taken care of business against Hoover. Both teams finished the regular season with identical 6-8 league marks, but the Nitros claimed the final guaranteed playoff spot by virtue of their sweep of Burbank on the season.

Burbank now waits hoping its 14-13 overall record and its recent success in the post season will be good enough to justify a CIF postseason with inflated divisions and brackets as much about profit at the ticket window as anything else. A spot is all Burbank needs; two seasons ago it rode a hot streak to the CIF Finals before losing to Compton.

Kalen Verhoeven looks to work the ball inside a tough Burbank defense Thursday night ( Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank allowed the Indians — 2-12 in league and 9-18 overall — to hang around just as it had when the two teams clashed on January 20. The Bulldogs led by as little as five in the final period. However, the Indians could draw no closer and their season would end with a last place finish for the second straight season.

Burroughs had no answer for Andre Spight who finished with a game-high 27 points despite missing his first five shots up against some adrenaline and nerves in the tense rivalry game.

Remy Youssefi added 11 points for Burbank. Burroughs was led by Zeke Zuniga’s 12 points.

Playoff Hopes Dimming For Burbank Basketball Team

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The fat lady hasn’t sung yet on the Bulldogs’ season, but she certainly is warming-up those vocals. Facing a must win against the Glendale Nitros to cap the final day of January on Tuesday, the Burbank High boys’ basketball team found itself down by as many as a dozen before rallying to close within one possession late.

In the end, Glendale staved of Burbank, 49-46. It was more of the same for the underachieving Bulldogs this season. With the exception of a brief three-game stretch to close out the first round of league play, the Burbank High boys’ basketball team has found the Pacific League to be rough waters this season. It has been good enough to battle Muir to the final seconds, but it has been inconsistent and has too often simply found ways to give games away in crunch time.

Now 3-8 in Pacific League play, and having been swept by the Nitros on the season, the Bulldogs find themselves two games back for the final playoff spot with just three games left. The same two teams that played to a 70-66 shoot out three weeks ago on January 11 played in a defensive struggle in which neither team could manage 50 points on Tuesday.

Glendale opened with a three-point advantage after the first quarter of play and it had built a double-digit lead by the half — largely because the Bulldogs only managed two field goals in the second quarter. Burbank rallied in the second half, and took its only lead of the night, 46-45, with Andre Spight sinking a short jumper.

It could have been a great story as Spight was returning from a injury and led all Burbank scorers with 16 points. However, Glendale got consecutive field goals from Sevan Pogosyan lifted the Nitos. The senior scored a game-high 23 points, half of his team’s total.

Burbank also got 14 points from Caine Brown-Kennedy, an athletic junior transfer from Las Vegas who should pay off big time next season. However, with just three games left and with the Nitros having both Burroughs (1-10 in league) and Hoover (2-9) left on their schedule, setting things up for next season may be all the Dogs have left to play for this season.

Burbank is at Hoover on Friday, February 3 and then plays Arcadia and Burroughs next week.

Burbank/Burroughs Games Always Bring Out the Emotions

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All Favorites Win in Rivalry Games But Games Have Plot Twists

By Tom Crowther

One of the best things about sports is the drama of a rivalry because just about anything can happen. The motto “Any Given Sunday” has roots in this belief and historically Americans love the underdog because their country won its independence through a war where it defied all odds.

At first glance, Friday night lacked much suspense when Burbank and Burroughs clashed in all of its winter sports. Favorites won across the board in fashions that seemed mostly like formalities. A second glance, however, reveals plenty of plot twist and turns.

The best story of the night was the Burbank High girls’ basketball team finishing the first round of Pacific League play in first place after it held off rival Burroughs, 37-34, and the previously unbeaten Muir Mustangs were upended by Pasadena. The low point Friday came when a girls’ soccer match was prematurely halted due to a fight between both teams, Burroughs beating Burbank 2-1 in a match where few will remember the final score.

In other games, Jose Hernandez’s Bulldogs beat struggling Burroughs, 70-59, after a sluggish start and Mike Kodama’s squad controlled things late in a 3-1 Burroughs win against Burbank in the veteran coach’s first rivalry win in years after a two-year hiatus from coaching in which the coach also went into the school’s Hall of Fame.

So although there were no upsets when all was said and done, there was plenty of drama and side plots. Here is a rundown of the action for January 20.

Girls Basketball: Burbank had to rally to finish the first half of the league schedule in a first place tie. Burroughs seemed poised to fend off their rivals yet again when it led by six points with just over six minutes left against the Bulldogs.

However a run by Burbank, which was capped by a lay-up by Jaime Gonzalez with 1:46 left to put Burbank up 35-34, sparked the ‘Dogs. Teammate Damarie Gonzalez led all scorers with 10 points. Burroughs was led by Aysia Shellmire who scored nine points and had five blocks before fouling out midway through the final quarter.

It was with Shellmire on the bench where the Bulldogs were able to take control. She was one of three Burroughs players to foul out. Burroughs fell to 7-12 overall and to 2-5 in league with the loss, while Burbank improved to 12-8 and 6-1.

No one at BHS could recall the last time time Burbank found itself in first place this late in the season, but it was sometime when the team was still a member of the Foothill League which it last competed in during the 2006 season. That stay at the top was brief, the Bulldogs are hoping this one will last longer. They have a huge game against Pasadena on Monday, the same team which helped them move into a first place tie by upsetting Muir in the cross town rivalry game for those two teams.

 

Burbank High Boys Basketball defeats Crosstown Rivals Burroughs 70 to 59. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Boys’ Basketball: Remi Youssefi and Caine Brown Kennedy each poured in 20 points to lead Burbank to its third straight league win following a four-game skid to start Pacific League play. In the softer part of its schedule Burbank has found its stride and now seems to have some momentum heading into the second round of Pacific League play.

Burbank is now 11-9 overall and 3-4 in league. It had to relish the opportunity to knock Burroughs to 0-7 in league. The Tribe is in a tailspin and have dropped 10 straight after opening the season 7-3. Friday’s loss dropped them to 7-13 on the season overall.

Austyn Thompson scored a team-high 17 points for Burroughs, while teammate Ezekial Zuniga added 14 points as he continues getting back in basketball shape after being injured all preseason and much of the first round of league.

Girls’ Soccer: Burroughs scored two goals in a two minute span of the first half to claim a 2-1 win against Burbank on January 20. Maria Gomez and Brianna Matallana scored goals for Burroughs while Dana Williams notched a goal for the Bulldogs on a penalty kick. The game was halted in the back portion of the second half after benches cleared following a fight between Gomez and Burbank’s Maddie Carlborg.

Injuries, penalties and dirty play made the first half exciting, but these things also contributed to the intensity that sparked the fight and mared an otherwise splended evening of rivalry contests. No doubt there will be consequences that extend beyond the ejections and follow-up one game suspensions that are part of CIF Southern Section regulations. The two teams are scheduled to play again on February 9 at Burbank High.

Boys’ Soccer: In sharp contrast to their school’s girls’ team, the Indians saved their offense for the second half in rallying for a 3-1 win against Burbank. Completely dominated in the first half and held without a shot on goal, Burroughs put together three goals in the second half in the win.

Julio Guillermo tied the score at 1-1 with a goal moments into the second half and the Tribe exhaled. Francisco Baez broke the tie with a goal in the 74th minute to give Burroughs its first lead, and Baez capped the comeback with a second goal six minutes later and the Indians erupted in celebration.

It was Elliott Whitecotton who kept Burroughs in the contest with his goal keeping, delivering a season-high 12 saves and twarting a barrage of Burbank scoring chances in the first half. Only a goal by Tadeh Anbarchain off a corner kick from Jon Trujillo got past him on 12 first half shots on goal.

Burroughs is 5-7-2 overall but more importantly 4-2-1 in league and in third place. The loss dropped Burbank to sixth place and 2-3-2 in league play.

Burbank, Burroughs Basketball Recaps

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Tribe Gets By CV

Shellmire Pours in 20 of Teams 33 points to spark girls’ basketball upset

Every good league race has a little controversy mixed in. Monday’s Pacific League contest at Burroughs had a little for both Crescenta Valley and Burroughs highs.

Burroughs head coach Vicky Oganyan benched several key players following a loss to Pasadena last week, including center Aysia Shellmire who had opened league play a week ago with a 45-point effort against Hoover.

The players were inserted into the rotation to start the second quarter, and Shellmire clearly heard her coach’s message loud and clear. The junior responded with 20 points in a 33-32 victory for the Indians against CV who fell to 9-6 overall and a surprising 1-2 in league with the loss.

The Falcons were enraged that their star player, Ella Stepanian, sat most of the fourth quarter because of a ruling by the officiating crew. With just under six minutes remaining in the contest the sophomore sensation bounced her head of the gym floor and was removed from the game with a head injury.

When she attempted to return a few minutes later the officials informed Falcons’ coach, Jason Perez, stating she had to be medically cleared by a doctor before returning to the action.

Without the focal point of their offense the Falcons generated few scoring opportunities the rest of the way and the Indians were able to rally for a victory.

CV led by three with Stepanian in the contest, and was outscored by four the final 5:41 without her. The Falcons led by as many as nine points in the first half, largely because the Indians were horrendous shooting – just 12 of 50 or 24% in the game.

In other girls’ basketball action, Burbank dropped a tough Pacific League match to the Mustangs (12-3, 3-0), January 9 at Burbank. Aja Locke scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Bulldogs (9-8, 2-2).

Emoni Jackson scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Muir, while teammate Jerrica Daniels sank two free throws with just seconds left to seal the win for the Mustangs.

BOYS BASKETBALL SPORTS SHORTS

Muir 52, Burbank 50: The Bulldogs dropped their third straight to open Pacific League play, this time in heartbreaking fashion against Muir. Burbank had a three-point lead with 1:26 left in the game, but some poor shot selections and fouls down the stretch paved the way for a Muir rally at Burbank High.

Making matters worse for Burbank was an error in the home team score book that shorted the team two points heading into the halftime – giving Burbank 33 instead of 35 – which was unfortunately the difference in the contest.

Michael Cockrell scored 13 points including three 3-pointers and Andre Frasier scored five points, grabbed eight rebounds and swatted seven blocks to lead the Mustangs. Muir is now 14-1 overall and 3-0 in Pacific League play.

Crescenta Valley 77, Burroughs 40: Crescenta Valley continues to be the most talked about team in the boys’ Pacific League race. Burroughs coach Adam Hochberg simply said, “they were awesome in every facet of the game” after the Indians were nearly doubled-up by the Falcons on January 9.

The lone bright spot for Burroughs was the return of Jorge Flores-Pere who played for the first time this season. Still getting back into game shape, the Tribe’s leading scorer from a year ago poured in 19 points.

Burroughs falls to 6-9 overall and 0-3 in league play.