Tag Archives: Emery Goulet

Rick’s Sports Corner: Emery Goulet, Burroughs High Hoops Leader, Scorer

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By Rick Assad

Emery Goulet was often tasked with providing two important ingredients to the Burroughs High boys’ basketball team over the two seasons in which he was a starter and they were shooting and scoring points.

But it was a third element the recent graduate delivered that was perhaps even more vital and that was providing floor guidance.

“I think my biggest role on the team was my leadership,” said Goulet, a 6-foot shooting guard/small forward who averaged about 15 points with five rebounds this past season and 22 points with five caroms the previous campaign. “I was a captain my junior and senior year and my teammates needed my hard work and drive and encouragement to help them out. I also think that I needed to be a scorer, too, at times, but the leadership was most important, especially this year.”

Goulet, who is attending UC Berkeley and majoring in Urban Studies, was heady and knew when it was time to score, play defense and get the team going in the right direction.

“I try and provide energy and light a fire under my guys and build confidence,” he said. “Confidence is such a huge part of basketball. The confidence and energy helps our runs and being sound on defense.”

A recent graduate, Emery Goulet (No. 11) is about to get a pass. A sharpshooter, the UC Berkeley freshman was a floor leader. (Photo courtesy Emery Goulet)

During the initial meeting with Goulet, Allan Ellis, the Indians’ hoop coach felt that he was going to be an impact player, both on the floor and in the locker room.

“From the moment Emery stepped on the practice court as a freshman, all the coaches fell in love with his competitiveness, effort and ability to be extremely coachable,” Ellis said. “Not to mention his ability to shoot and run the floor. Emery was a delight to coach from the time he stepped on the court to the time he left. One of the best players and an even better kid since I started coaching at Burroughs.”

Though Goulet’s basketball career has concluded, he was drawn to the game because it offered so much.

“I like that it’s a team sport, having your guys with you is an empowering feeling,” he said. “I like that it’s a game of runs and just that you can create your own shot. It’s freeing being able to play the game.”

But it was launching the basketball that really excited Goulet, who was named Most Valuable Player by the team as a junior and selected All-Pacific League, first team and Player of the Month. “I’m a shooter. I love to shoot. That’s part of my love for the game, too,” he noted.

The Indians, including Emery Goulet, getting ready for another basketball game. (Photo courtesy Emery Goulet)

Goulet then added: “I think my ability to shoot and create my own shot were my best assets on the floor,” he said. “Also being able to run the floor was a big part of my game, too.”

Like so many college students, Goulet is taking his first year virtually because of the coronavirus.

“COVID-19 has greatly affected me. I wasn’t able to finish out high school at school and have a traditional graduation that other years prior always had,” he said. “It also made me stay home for at least this first semester of college, where I’ll be doing everything online.”

An excellent student who maintained a 4.0 grade-point average throughout all four years, Goulet gave some insight into how he spends his day studying.

“I organized my schedule so where my classes are generally in the morning, so I have the rest of the day to do homework and have time for myself,” he said. “I typically try and get all of my work out of the way to give myself the rest of the day and not worry about assignments. But if I’m slammed one day, I’ll take intermittent breaks about an hour at a time.”

Emery Goulet, who averaged 15 points as a senior and 22 points as a junior, is shown guarding the wing. (Photo courtesy Emery Goulet)

Looking back, Goulet has no regrets about how his three-year varsity hoop tenure progressed, including a CIF Southern Section Division III A opening-round 55-45 setback to St. Bonaventure as a senior.

“I was pleased with how my basketball career went. I had a great support system with my family [father Derrick and mother Amy] and was surrounded by some great coaches and great teammates,” he pointed out. “It was great to be able to do what I loved every day.”

Some games stood especially tall, like those versus longtime city rival Burbank, which Goulet, who was the Student of the Month in his Calculus class, deemed to be unforgettable.

“I think the Burbank game at Burroughs my junior year and the one at Burbank my senior year were two highlights,” he said. “Electric atmosphere, really good games, just a lot of fun to be a part of. I played well in those games, too, and that always helps.”

The Indians, who went 19-10 and 7-7 in Pacific League action this past season, blitzed host Burbank 70-57 on January 10, but were edged at home 46-42 on February 12 by the Bulldogs.

During Goulet’s junior campaign, Burroughs finished 11-16 and 4-10 in league play and didn’t make the postseason.

That year, the Indians took their first encounter with the visiting Bulldogs 66-61 on January 11, but fell 83-49 on January 31 to their rival.

Burroughs failed to make the playoffs in 2017-2018, when Goulet, who was part of the California Scholarship Federation and was given the History Award at graduation, came off the bench as a sophomore as the Indians went 12-14 and 3-11 in league.

Of course there seemed to be added pressure in those rivalry games because they were against Burbank.

“I will remember the crowd and atmosphere of those games the most, there was nothing like it,” he said of those clashes. “I loved those games and those moments. So much fun.”

In the end, every game, not just Burroughs versus Burbank, were important for Goulet.

“I tried to just mentally prepare for a battle, never take any game lightly,” he reasoned. “I would try and do the same stretches and listen to the same songs before my games.”

Goulet said this ritual really helped his confidence level. “I was pretty superstitious when it came to basketball,” he admitted. “And then I’d go in and give 100 percent every time I go in there.”

Doing anything well takes years of dedication along with hours of practice and the result can be supreme confidence.

“I think my work ethic, drive and determination helped me succeed the most,” Goulet said. “I always wanted to be the best on the court and wouldn’t stop till I was. That drive helped me get to the level I was at.”

Burbank Boys Basketball Hangs On For 46-42 Win Versus Burroughs

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By Rick Assad

Ebbs and flows are a small part of basketball and it is just one aspect of the game that makes it so exciting.

In Thursday night’s Pacific League boys’ finale between Burroughs High and visiting Burbank, this was evident from the outset.

Kevin Sarkes scored eight points for the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Trailing after the first quarter by three, the Bulldogs forged ahead by 12 points at the half, fell behind by one point heading to the fourth quarter and then rallied for a thrilling 46-42 victory.

In that final period, Burbank (9-18 and 5-9 in league) hammered in only four of 14 shots from the field and made two of three from the free-throw line.

But it was on the defensive end that Burbank shined, limiting the Indians, who are tied for third place in league with Muir, to one of seven from the floor and six points.

The Indians will qualify for the CIF Southern Section postseason and the pairings will be announced this weekend.

Burbank junior point guard Vartan Avetisyan poured in five of his co-game best 16 points in the fourth quarter.

Corwin Smith had 16 points to lead the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Senior center Kevin Sarkes tossed in four of his eight points in the fourth period.

“It’s my last game as a senior,” Sarkes said. “We have to come out and win it today. They beat us at our house. It was time for us to beat them at their house.”

Sarkes added: “In the first half, the offense was good and the defense was good,” he offered. “I feel like we picked it up defensively in the fourth quarter. We got stops. We got deflections, steals. We got big plays. It was great.”

Sarkes was asked if beating Burroughs is extra sweet. “Definitely,” he said of the triumph over city rival. “You have a bigger crowd. The gym is loud. You have to take it up another level, another notch.”

The Indians (19-9 and 7-7 in league) leaped ahead 10-7 heading into the second quarter as senior shooting guard Carson Cardenaz, who scored 11 points, tallied a hoop and a three-pointer.

After scoring two points in the first frame, center Corwin Smith added a bucket and a free throw in the second quarter for the Indians, who converted 17 of 54 for 31.4 percent on the night.

Swarming defense was one key to Burbank’s 46-42 win over Burroughs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs shot 25 percent from the field in the opening half after making eight of 32.

Burbank converted on 41.3 percent of its shots (12 of 29) and dashed ahead 31-19 at the break.

Smith dropped in five points in the third quarter and senior forward Emery Goulet tacked on six of his eight points.

Smith was the only Burroughs player to score in the fourth frame after tallying six points.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs, who drilled 18 of 53 for 33.9 percent, managed only four points with sophomore point guard Phoenix Mosley scoring two and Avetisyan also dropping in two and fell behind 36-35.

Junior shooting guard Elmer Reyes scored two points in the third quarter after dropping in eight at the intermission that included a pair of three pointers in the second quarter and finished with 12 points for the Bulldogs.

Junior small forward/shooting guard Kelton Shea contributed four points for Burbank, which outrebounded Burroughs, 42-34.

Guard Blake Ballard knocked in seven points that included a three-pointer in the first quarter for the Indians.

Burroughs Boys Hoops Shoot Poorly, Lose 67-40 To Crescenta Valley

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By Rick Assad

Some games are truly memorable because of the outcome and how it was played, while in other cases a team might want to forget it.

For the Burroughs High boys’ basketball squad, Friday night’s Pacific League matchup with Crescenta Valley at Providence High, could be categorized in the latter after falling behind early and never catching up in an eventual 67-40 setback.

Nicholas Garcia dribbling the ball against Crescenta Valley. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians were held to six points in the first and second quarters and trailed 38-12 at the intermission after making just four of 24 for 16.6 percent from the floor.

The second half was much better for Burroughs, which outscored the Falcons 18-15 in the third quarter to get within 56-27, and then outscored Crescenta Valley 13-11 in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons, who pulled ahead 18-6 heading into the second period, had two players score in doubles figures as shooting guard Tyler Carlson tallied a game-best 24 points and power forward Alec Vosjanian scored 16 points.

Senior center Corwin Smith tossed in a team-best 10 points for the Indians, who shot 28.3 on the night (15 of 53).

The Falcons (14-3 and 5-1 in league) started strong as they connected on six of 11 from the floor and continued their hot shooting after drilling eight of 13 in the second period.

Carlson scored 10 points in the initial frame and that included two of his four game-high, three-pointers.

Center Corwin Smith scored a team-high 10 points for the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Vosjanian tacked on 12 points in the second period and that included his only three-pointer.

On the opposite bench, the Indians (13-6 and 4-4 in league) hit two of 12 from the floor in the first and second quarters.

Nicholas Garcia is the point guard and the starting quarterback for the Indians this past season.

“Twelve points in a half is not going to cut it,” said Garcia, a senior. “We just gotta go back to work tomorrow. We just gotta keep playing through this. You’ve gotta have a better offense.”

Garcia then added: “I try to get everybody else involved,” he noted. “Everybody can score on that team. It’s hard to play defense against them because everybody can score.”

Garcia thinks Burroughs will bounce back. “I say out of these next four games, we go 3-1,” he said. “This is our only loss.”

Shooting guard Carson Cardenaz tallied six points on a pair of three-pointers. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

After Smith made two free throws in the first quarter, he scored a hoop and two from the charity line for six points.

Carlson was on the mark in the third quarter after tallying 10 points with six points coming on a pair of three-pointers as the Falcons were successful on seven of 18 from the field.

Burroughs senior shooting guard Carson Cardenaz, who played wide receiver on the football team, nailed a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter for his only points.

Guard Blake Ballard had a good third quarter for the Indians after scoring five of his seven points.

Senior forward Emery Goulet was also productive in the third period for the Indians, scoring four of his six points.

Crescenta Valley finally had an off-shooting quarter in the fourth after making four of 15.

Guard Elijah Duller delivered all of his seven points in the fourth quarter for the Indians, who made 11 of 26 in the second half (37.9 percent).

Guard Jase Sadsad came of the bench and scored two points for Burroughs, which made three from three-point range  and nailed seven of eight from the free-throw line for 87.5 percent.

The Falcons dropped in seven three-pointers and drilled 10 of 12 from the free-throw stripe for 83.3 percent.

Burroughs Boys Basketball Has Big Night Against Burbank

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The statistics certainly told the story Friday night when the Burroughs High boys’ basketball team visited Burbank High.

The Indians were lights out from long distance and Bulldogs struggled at the free-throw line in a 70-57 Burroughs victory.

“We were feeling it tonight, which is great to see. I live for these games,” said Burroughs Emery Goulet, who had a game-high 26 points.” It’s just great to be a part of. The atmosphere was fantastic and I just love to live it up and do the best I can.”

Burroughs (12-5 overall, 3-3 in league) led 14-13 at the end of the first quarter.

But the Indians went wild early in the second quarter, hitting six 3-pointers in the first 4:05 of the period and were never seriously threatened again.

For the game, Burroughs hit 11 shots from 3-point range.

Burroughs led 37-30 at halftime.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank (6-12, 2-4) made just eight of 22 free throws in the loss.

“We just didn’t execute. We need to close out well,” Burbank coach Sid Cooke said.

The Bulldogs closed to 53-48 with 4:44 following a basket by Kevin Sarkes.

But Goulet countered with a three-point shot.

Burroughs coach Allan Ellis was pleased with his team’s performance.

“We’ve been doing a lot of shooting in practice because a couple of weeks ago we were not shooting the basketball well,” Ellis said. “We really wanted to bounce back and we knew that you have to win on the road if you want to be a good basketball team.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs got a fine effort from Blake Ballard, who had three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points.

Corwin Smith had eight points. Evan Zamora, Carson Cardenaz and Jase Sadsad each had six points and Nick Garcia had five points.

Burbank was led by Leo Tahamasian who had 16 points.

Sarkes and Elmer Reyes also had fine efforts each contributing 14 points. Kelton Shea had 10 points and Vartan Avetisyan had three points.

Burroughs Boys Hoops Drop Pacific League Opener Against Glendale

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By Rick Assad

For nearly 29 minutes of the scheduled 32 minutes, the Burroughs High boys’ basketball team was either tied or in front against visiting Glendale in the Pacific League opener on Tuesday night.

What happened across the last two-plus minutes undid what transpired earlier as the Nitros rallied for a 61-52 victory.

In the fourth period, Glendale outscored Burroughs 27-15 after connecting on eight of 13 from the field and drilling nine of 10 free throws.

Nicholas Garcia, who scored a team-best 16 points, tries to block a shot against the Nitros. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians made six of 12 from the floor and two of three from the charity line in the same period.

The match was deadlocked at 14-14 heading into the second frame, but the Indians shimmied ahead 27-20 at the half before bolting in front 37-34 after three frames.

An important moment came when junior point guard Arthur Chebishian (14 points) stole the ball and then raced down court for a layup with 2:30 remaining as Glendale seized a 48-46 lead.

With 1:52 left, a three-pointer from senior swingman Manouk Manoukian (14 points) handed the Nitros a 51-48 edge.

Manoukian finished with a game-best three from three-point range, nailing one in the first, third and fourth quarters.

Guard Jase Sadsad looks for the open man. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Chebishian’s hoop made it 53-48 with 1:29 on the clock, which forced Coach Allan Ellis to call time out.

Neither team shot especially well from the field as the Nitros made 35.4 percent (17 of 48) and the Indians 34.5 percent (19 of 55).

Glendale (4-4 and 1-0 in league) went to the free-throw line 22 times and drilled 19 for 86.3 percent.

Burroughs (5-1 and 0-1 in league) toed the free-throw stripe 14 times and canned 11 for 78.5 percent.

Another key statistic was Glendale’s ability to make its three-pointers. On the night, it sank eight compared to Burroughs dropping in three.

Senior point guard Nicholas Garcia paced the Indians with a team-high 16 points and hit one three-pointer.

Guard Evan Zamora is seen dribbling for the Indians, who fell by nine points to the Nitros. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“They [Glendale] battled on the defensive end and we couldn’t get stops and that was the deciding factor in the game,” said senior swingman Emery Goulet, who scored 13 points, including nine in the opening half.

Goulet went on: “It comes down to the intensity and defensive energy on the defensive end and they made shots and we didn’t,” he said.

Even with the loss, Goulet still believes the team will respond.

“I love my guys,” he said. “I’m behind them until the end. I think they can bounce back and make some noise this year.”

Goulet’s basket with 1:48 left in the second quarter made it 24-17 and Garcia’s bucket with 1:19 remaining in the third quarter pushed the lead to 37-32.

Garcia scored eight points that included a trey in the initial frame while Chebishian dropped in two three-pointers for six points.

Goulet had his most-productive quarter in the second tallying seven points with five points coming via free throws as Burroughs converted four of 16 from the field and five of five from the charity line.

The Nitros, who shot 25.9 percent at the half (seven of 27) were held to six points in the second period after making two of 13 from the floor.

The Indians drilled 29 percent of their shots at the intermission (nine of 31) and eight of nine from the free-throw line.

Glendale senior swingman Manny Kapoushian (game-best 17 points) scored eight points in the third quarter with six points being derived from free throws. The Nitros converted nine of 10, but only two of eight from the field.

The Indians drained four of 12 from the floor and one of two charity tosses in the third stanza as Garcia scored four points.

Center Corwin Smith dropped in nine points with six coming at the intermission, guard Jase Sadsad added seven points, forward Tyler Cantrell delivered four and senior shooting guard Carson Cardenaz tossed in three points for the Indians.

Burbank, Burroughs Boys Hoops Set Sights High

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By Rick Assad

The task is a tall one, no doubt, but the Burbank High and Burroughs boys’ basketball teams are each gunning for the top spot when it comes to the Pacific League standings, hoping to unseat Pasadena.

The Bulldogs are athletic with dependable shooters and defenders and will be led Sid Cooke, who has an impressive and deep resume, having coached Renaissance Academy to a pair of CIF Southern Section championships across 16 years.

“We’re trying to build a culture. Commitment and accountability. Do the right thing every time,” said Cooke, a first-year coach at Burbank, who was also an assistant coach at Glendale Community College for three years. “They do play hard, but they’ve got to play different as far as the understanding of the game.”

You can never practice enough as Burroughs goes through some drills. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank played well last season after going 17-12 and 8-6 in league for fourth place.

The Bulldogs fell to La Canada 57-43 in the opening-round of the CIF Division II A playoffs.

Burbank will not have shooting guard Miles D’Agostin, who averaged just over 26 points and was selected All-CIF second team, because of graduation.

Cooke is a tough taskmaster who demands perfection on the court, but knows how to motivate.

Four players were on last year’s squad and they will be asked to lead Burbank on the floor.

Kevin Sarkes is a 6-foot-5 senior center who will rebound, play solid defense and shoot in the paint.

“We have a good group of guys,” he said. “We hope to capture the first league title in a long time, it’s been about 20 years. And then heading to CIF, we’ve been knocked out two years in the first round. Our goal is to capture the first CIF title.”

Senior Ben Burnham (6-0) is a standout wide receiver on the football team and will offer grit, points, hard-nose defense and rebounds from the point guard position.

“Transitioning from football to basketball is not that hard. I’m not in basketball shape,” he said. “We’re looking to do some damage in league. We’re focusing on getting better every week.”

Junior small forward Abiel Pearl (No. 25) will be a key player for the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Senior shooting guard Leo Tahmasian (6-0) is a clutch long-range artist who can score points in a hurry.

“Three coaches in three years. Yes, it’s not easy, but when you have a great coaching staff it’s pretty easy to adjust,” he said. “They have a system in place.”

Sarkes then added: “Coach Sid has won multiple championships at different levels,” he said. “His resume speaks for itself. He’s a great coach. We have a great group of guys. I’m very confident in what we can do this year whether it’s in league or CIF. We’ve got a good core and a good group of guys to build around.”

Junior shooting guard/small forward Abiel Pearl (6-3) is athletic and a leaper who has a soft touch in the paint, is a ball hawk on defense and a splendid rebounder.

There are four other seniors on the team and they include shooting guard Gor Keshishyan (6-2), shooting guard Danny Contreras (5-7), shooting guard A.J. Blake (5-10), small forward/power forward Craig Rushton (6-2) and center Greg Zadikian (6-5).

Up and in the basket. The Indians hope to see more of this during the season. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The juniors include point guard Vartan Avetisyan (5-9), shooting guard Elmer Reyes (5-10), small forward Kelton Shea (6-3) and shooting guard Armen Nazarian (6-3).

Three sophomores are on the team and they are small forward J.G. Lambert (6-3), point guard/shooting guard Phoenix Mosley (5-9) and shooting guard Nigel Dickens (6-1).

The Indians are deep in talent this season and hope to forget last season in which they went 11-16 and 4-10 in league for sixth place while missing the postseason.

Four players return and they include senior swingman Emery Goulet, senior point guard Nicholas Garcia, senior shooting guard Carson Cardenaz and reserve forward Tyler Cantrell.

Goulet is a first-team all-league selection, team captain and one of the floor leaders.

Garcia, who was the quarterback for the Indians, will distribute the basketball and look for his shot when it’s available.

Senior guard Leo Tahmasian (No. 23) should have a solid season for the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Cardenaz played wide receiver and always showed his toughness on the field.

“We are bigger and stronger physically than last year’s team,” Burroughs coach Allan Ellis said. “I think last year’s experience for our starting guards will help us a lot on and off the court for our younger players.”

Ellis knows it’s not going to be easy to capture the league title, but likes what he’s seen.

“We know we are in a tough league, but the majority of these players have been a part of my program for four years,” he said. “We look forward to the challenge and the guys are hungry to show what they are capable of on the basketball court.”

The rest of the backcourt will consist of shooting guard Jase Sadsad, shooting guard Blake Ballard, shooting guard Elijah Duller, shooting guard Evan Zamora and point guard Coleman Chennault.

The frontcourt will be comprised of Jack Nitzsche, Chance Spinks and Corwin Smith, who is 6-6, and will play center.

Burbank Boys Basketball Gets Hungry in Win Over Burroughs

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The Burbank High boys’ basketball knew that a win over Burroughs High in the regular season finale would guarantee a CIF Southern Section playoff berth.

As a result, the host Bulldogs played focused and determined in an 83-49 contest over the visiting Indians, who won the first meeting between the two rivals.

“They’ve been thinking about it the last two days,” Burbank coach Ernest Baskerville said of the playoffs. ‘They’ve been excited about playing this game. They understood the last time we played them, they kicked our butt.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank (17-11 overall, 8-6 in the league) jumped out to a 22-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and were never threatened by the Indians, who finish the season with an 11-16 overall mark, 4-10 in the league.

“They were ready to go from the beginning. They wanted revenge and they played well and shot the ball well and we got behind and couldn’t recover,” Burroughs coach Allan Ellis said.

Burbank converted 20 of 33 shots it took in the first half and hit five of 14 attempts from three-point range.

The Bulldogs led 47-23 at halftime and continued to shine in the third quarter by taking a 66-33 lead going into the final quarter.

Miles D’Agostin, who had six 3-pointers, finished with a game-high 22 points. Erik Harutyunyan had 18 points.

Guram Dumbadze had 12 points, Jalen Clark, Leo Tahmasian and Isaac Anglade each had seven for the Bulldogs. Ben Burnham and Jared Pasion each had three points. Kevin Sarkes and Abiel Pearl each had two points.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs was led by Nick Garcia, who had 14 points. Bryan Oasey had 13 points, Aaron Amanios had nine points and Emery Goulet had four points.

Sammy Solis and Evan Zamora each had three points. Carson Cardenaz had two points and Peter Filippi had one point.

Baskerville is hopeful the CIF playoff selection committee will look at the Bulldogs’ strength of schedule.

“Hopefully we get a good draw if you look at the teams we’ve played. We’ve played Camarillo, Valencia, Calabasas, King-Drew, Crossroads,” he said.

Burroughs Boys Basketball Stuns Burbank

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The Burroughs High boys’ basketball has had its ups and downs this season.

The Indians played one of their finest first halves of the season against Burbank High Friday night.

It was so good that it was enough to help the Indians avoid a fourth-quarter meltdown in a 66-61 Pacific League victory.

“It was a tough fourth quarter but we had to keep our composure and that’s what I kept telling my teammates,” said Burroughs Emery Goulet, who had a game-high 32 points.

Burroughs (10-11 overall, 3-5 in the league) held a 55-38 lead going into the fourth quarter and appeared to be in command for a victory.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

But Burbank  (12-8, 4-4) began the fourth quarter on a 14-0 run and tied things with 2:43 left on a pair of free throws by Jared Pasion.

The Bulldogs would later take the lead on two occasions before Goulet put forth a final push that was enough to lift his team to victory.

“We were running too many plays that were complicated that they weren’t really used to running, so we simplified it and starting running spreads,” Burroughs coach Allan Ellis said of his offense.

Ellis said the change allowed his team to get more open looks at the basket. Burroughs hit 11 three-pointers as a team.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

“The change in the offense was working for us. Hopefully, we can continue doing this for the rest of the year,” Ellis said. “This was a great win for our team.”

Ellis said he knew his team could not afford to get too comfortable, even with a double-digit lead.

“Burbank did a great job fighting back in the fourth quarter and I expected them to fight back at some point. We weren’t executing very well. Once we got back to our execution in the last minute or two minutes, we started to find our rhythm again,” Ellis said.

Burbank coach Ernest Baskerville was frustrated that his team didn’t come out on top.

“You’ve got to play a whole game,” he said. “You have to play every team that you play with respect. I told them (his team) all week, don’t think that they’re going to let you come out because they’re in the bottom half of the league (standings) and you’re in the top half.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs, which led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter and 33-22 at halftime, got 13 points from Bryan Oasey.

Sammy Solis added eight points and Nick Garcia scored seven. Carson Cardenaz had four points. Tyler Cantrell had two points.

Burbank was led by Leo Tahmasian and Erik Harutyunyan, who each had 15 points and Miles D’Agostin, who had 11.

Pasion had seven points and Jalen Clark added five. Ben Burnham had four points and Isaac Anglade had two. Abiel Pearl and Guram Dumbadze each hit a free throw.

Burroughs Boys Basketball Goes Flat Against Glendale

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If the Burroughs High boys’ basketball team wants to make a run at a CIF Southern Section playoff berth, the Indians are going to have to greatly improve over the next month.

Playing in their first game of the year, Burroughs fell behind early and never recovered in a 67-55 home loss against Glendale.

“Our offense was stagnant. We forced way too many shots in the first half,” Burroughs coach Allan Ellis said.

Burroughs (8-11 overall, 1-5 in league) got a three-pointer from Emery Goulet to tie things at 3 early in the first quarter and that was the only time the Indians were level with the visiting Nitros.

Goulet, who had a game-high 25 points, did all he could to help keep the Indians in the game.

But Glendale (16-4, 4-2 in league) had a strong supporting cast and was able to display success with both its inside and outside game. Nitros center Elvin Hartoonian finished 17 points.

Glendale also got solid shooting from junior David Shamiryan, who had 15 points off the bench and hit three 3-pointers.

Burroughs trailed 22-12 at the end of the first quarter and went up by as much as 21 points on two occasions. A three-pointer by Goulet helped cut the deficit to 39-25 at halftime.

Another three-pointer by Goulet to start the second half got Burroughs to within 39-28.

Goulet helped cut the lead to single digits at 46-38 with 1:47 left in the third quarter. But Glendale quickly responded with a three-pointer by Cole Fajardo to stop the threat of a rally.

Burroughs Bryan Oasay hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 53-43 going into the final quarter.

Carson Cardenaz hit a three-pointer with 3:05 left to play to once again cut the deficit into single digits at 59-50.

But Burroughs was only able to cut the deficit to within eight when Goulet completed a three-point play with 1:37 left to make it 63-55.

Cardenaz finished with 12 points and Oasay had 11. Walker Miller had three points. Steven Johnson and Nick Garcia each had two points.

Burroughs Boys Hoops Digs Hole Against Glendale, Lose 59-50

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By Rick Assad

 

A deep and ugly hole faced the Burroughs High boys’ basketball team on Friday evening and it proved simply too much.

Glendale jumped out to a 24-8 lead in the first quarter and then held off the visiting and gritty Indians 59-50 in a Pacific League encounter.

After the putrid start, the Indians, who connected on 19 of 58 from the floor for 32.7 percent and outscored the Nitros, who drilled 22 of 49 for 44.8 percent, 19-8 in the second quarter, drew within 32-27 at the intermission.

The Indians struggled to score in the first quarter against Glendale. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We started the game off not ready to play defense the way we practiced, the way we prepared,” Burroughs coach Allan Ellis said. “In the second quarter we started picking up our defensive intensity and that got us back into the basketball game.”

Sammy Solis paved the way for the Indians (5-6 and 0-2 in league) with a team-best 14 points while Emery Goulet chimed in with 11.

Burroughs came out and hit on three of 12 shots from the floor in the opening period, but bounced back and drilled eight of 17 in the second frame as Solis scored eight points and delivered 10 points at the break.

The Indians nailed four from three-point range at the midway point and added three more in the second half.

Points were hard to come by for Burroughs against the Nitros. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs hit four of 15 from the field in the third quarter and four of 14 attempts in the fourth period.

Bryan Oasay contributed five points in the third quarter after dropping in a free throw in the opening stanza and a trey in the second period.

The Indians were outscored 10-9 in the third period and 17-14 in the fourth frame when Goulet tallied six points including a three-pointer.

Leading Glendale’s offense was junior shooting guard Manny Kapoushian, who dropped in a game-best 17 points and hitting four of the seven made from three-point range.

Kapoushian’s three-pointer with 5:49 left in the opening period handed the Nitros an 8-1 edge. A hoop by Solis with 4:43 remaining in the second quarter sliced Glendale’s advantage to 26-14.

Senior point guard Cole Fajardo added nine points for the Nitros (8-3 and 1-1 in league), who made 13 of 28 shots for 46.4 percent in the opening half, with seven points by the intermission.

When junior point guard Edgar Kirakosian (six points) drilled a three-pointer and four minutes showing, the Nitros, who took a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter, surged ahead 52-39.

Evan Zamora and Nick Garcia each chimed in with six points for the Indians while Carson Cardenaz dropped in four.

The Indians canned seven of 12 free throws and the Nitros were successful on eight of 16 from the charity line.