By Rick Assad
When it mattered most, the Burroughs High boys’ basketball team rose to the occasion.
A 20-point fourth quarter was the catalyst the Bears needed when it took on host Hoover in a Pacific League game, and the result was an impressive 61-56 victory on Thursday night.
Senior wing Evan Lanier, who also grabbed eight rebounds, scored nine of his team-best 14 points in the fourth period as the Bears made seven of 11 shots for 63.6 period in the frame.
Lanier’s hoop with 7:25 left in the fourth made it 45-40 and Lanier’s basket with 2:10 on the clock increased the lead to 53-49.
When senior wing Ethan Cooper’s three-pointer made it 56-51 with 1:32 remaining, the victory was almost assured.
Coming into the fourth quarter, the score was 43-40 in favor of the Bears, but the Tornadoes were coming off an 18-point third period and had some momentum and the crowd behind them.
Senior wing Kane Le-Cabico, who finished with four caroms and four assists, added five of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Jason Weatherall is Burroughs’ first-year head coach and knows the season is going to be a battle and very much a learning situation.
“We had to play with poise to pull out the game. They are learning how to make a play when it is needed,” he said. “Tough game. Tough opponent, but we found a way.”
Behind five players scoring in the first period, Burroughs (4-6 and 1-2 in league), which made 23 of 52 for 44.2 percent from the field, led 17-13 as junior wing Will Rowan and senior guard Nico Meza each tallied five points, and each nailed a three-pointer. Rowan also drilled a trey in the third quarter.
Neither team was especially productive in the second quarter, but the Bears marched ahead 28-24 after scoring 11 points and the Tornadoes tallying nine.
Hoover (3-7 and 1-2 in league), which made 17 of 58 for 29.4 percent, woke up in the third period as senior Shannan Boutwell scored four of his game-high 17 points and sophomore Edward Gevorgyan scored five of his 14 points.
“Right now we don’t have a dominant player yet, just a bunch of guys chipping in and making the boat move forward,” Weatherall said of his squad.
Senior guard Nathan Rodriguez scored seven points, senior guard Teagan Bradford added six points, and Cooper scored five points for the Bears.
Junior Alex Patatanyan tallied 12 points and also nailed a three-pointer and scored seven points in the fourth quarter for Hoover.
Burroughs outrebounded Hoover 42-33 and converted eight of 15 for 53.3 percent from the free-throw line while the Tornadoes hit 17 of 26 for 65.3 percent.
The Bears made seven three-pointers, and the Tornadoes hit five.
