By Rick Assad
What looked like a potential blowout turned into a close nonleague boys’ basketball game on Monday night.
Burbank secured a nine-point first quarter lead and extended the cushion to 14 points at halftime, but the host Bulldogs were outscored by de Toledo across in the second half by 10 points and held on for a 59-55 victory.
Senior shooting guard Kamran Alborzian scored a team-high 21 points and made three of the five three-pointers for Burbank and senior point guard Kevin Dehbashian added 17 points and collected the other two from three-point range.
The Bulldogs (10-1) connected on 15 of 33 field goals for 45.4 percent in the first half but dipped to seven of 27 for 25.9 percent in the second half.
“We just didn’t shoot the ball well all night, but I thought our defense played well down the stretch,” Burbank coach Steve Eshleman said. “They ended up forcing some bad shots that helped seal it.”
After shooting 26.6 percent on eight of 30 in the opening half, the Jaguars, who sank 10 from three-point range, nailed 11 of 25 for 44 percent in the second half.
Senior guard/forward Liad Edri, who scored 18 points in the second half, accounted for a game-best 25 points.
Edri drilled four three-pointers including three in the fourth quarter when he tallied 13 points.
Edri had four points in the first period and tacked on a three-pointer in the second quarter.
Junior guard Max Bromberg finished with 12 points and hammered home four three-pointers for the Jaguars (3-8), who shot 34.5 percent on 19 of 55.
The Bulldogs made seven of 16 field goals for 43.7 percent in the opening frame and led 16-7 as Alborzian dropped four points as did senior center Arthur Ambaryan, Dehbashian and junior small forward Anthony Jawiche (12 points).
Burbank nailed eight of 17 for 47 percent from the floor in the second quarter and pulled ahead 35-21 at the intermission as Dehbashian accounted for eight points and Alborzian added five points.
Jawiche’s hoop with 2:56 remaining in the second period handed the Bulldogs a 32-15 lead.
“I’m proud of the fact that we found a way to win a game where we weren’t shooting particularly well,” Bulldog assistant coach Tighe Eshleman noted. “It really became a possession by possession grinding game. Sometimes you just need to find a way to keep a lead. Our guys really battled to do so.”
The Bulldogs and the Jaguars each scored 13 points in the third period as Burbank made five of 19 for 26.3 percent and de Toledo shot 44.4 percent on four of nine and trailed 48-34 heading to the fourth quarter.
Dehbashian dropped five points in the period and Edri also scored five points and his hoop and free throw with 3:52 left sliced Burbank’s advantage to 43-33.
In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars made seven of 16 for 43.7 percent, but the Bulldogs made two of eight for 25 percent and Alborzian had nine points.
Alborzian’s three-pointer with 1:06 remaining saw Burbank march ahead 57-49 as de Toledo asked for time out.
With 4:55 left on the clock, a three-pointer from Edri cut the lead to 52-44.
Senior shooting guard/power forward Areg Aslanyan added three points in the third period for the Bulldogs and junior power forward Blake Finnigan tossed in two points in the second quarter.
Burbank, which shot 36.6 percent on 22 of 60, sank 10 of 16 free throws for 62.5 percent while de Toledo made seven of 16 for 43.7 percent and the Bulldogs also outrebounded the Jaguars 43-37.
