Village Christian girls’ basketball coach Vince DeGuzman and Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan faced a rather interesting scenario when the two teams squared off in a CIF Southern Section Division 2A second-round contest.
Both coaches also work together as assistants for the Glendale Community College women’s team and were on the same bench just hours earlier when the Vaqueros took on Los Angeles Valley College.
Once they went their seperate ways later in the evening, both coaches put together fine game plans.
But in the end it was Oganyan’s Bears that prevailed by overcome a seven point fourth-quarter deficit to come out with a 40-34 victory.
“We executed our game plan for three quarters and we kind of ran out of gas there. Props to her,” DeGuzman said. “She has a great team and a great program. The word got around at the college and we were poking fun at each other. She’s awesome. She has a great group of girls. I’m proud of my girls leaving it all on the floor tonight.”
Burroughs (21-9) rallied from being down 34-27 in the fourth quarter to finish with a 13-0 run and stun the host Crusaders (19-10).
“I feel we did what we’ve done all year and it is to keep at it and keep grinding. Our motto is chop wood, carry water and before we went to play tonight I said this game is not going to be won in two minutes or three minutes,” Oganyan said. “It is going to be all 32 minutes. Whether we’re up or down we have to keep doing what we do. I feel our team did that really well today.”
Sophomore Jessica Mena hit a three-pointer with 3:11 to play, cutting the deficit to 34-30. A basket by Mariam Fahs made it 34-32 and Burroughs took the lead for good with just 1:41 to play when junior Elizabeth Amoroso hit a three-pointer.
Burroughs will now play at Pioneer High of Whittier Wednesday in a CIF quarterfinal game.
Fahs led Burroughs with 17 points. Amoroso had 8 points and Mena had six points. Freshman Isabella Amayakyan had five points and junior Valentina Morales finished with four.
Village Christian was led by Maddy Boquiren, who had 16 points.
