For a young team, the ramped-up atmosphere of the CIF Southern Section playoffs can be overwhelming. The inexperience and youth of the Burroughs Indians’ girls’ basketball team, a No. 4 seed from the Pacific League, showed-up early Saturday night against Paloma Valley as they fell 70-51 to the No. 2 from the Sunbelt League.
“We looked a little scared, really didn’t play well until the final quarter,” head coach Vicky Oganyan said.
Paloma Valley used a 17-8 opening quarter to take control, then after the Indians closed the gap slightly, Paloma Valley closed the first half with a 13-0 scoring run to lead 35-19 at the half. A 23-point effort in the final quarter made the score look closer than it was.
But for the defending Pacific League champions who graduated most of its key pieces last year, simply making the playoffs this season was a success. Burroughs started two freshmen in Sidney Ortega and Delaney Nicol and its top scorer Aysia Shellmire was a junior. Their taste of the playoffs should play dividends in the years ahead.
Nicol and Shellmire led the Indians with 14 points apiece. Gabby Pineiro, a senior playing in her final game scored 11 points and Davina Del Castillo had a game-high 13 rebounds.
