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Burroughs, Burbank Girls Basketball Ready, Steady

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By Rick Assad

At least recently, the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team has been the dominant force in the Pacific League, having won numerous banners under the leadership of longtime coach Vicky Oganyan.

Meanwhile, city rival Burbank has also produced some fine teams and has usually ended up in the top half of the league.

Both should be contenders for the league title this season, but Pasadena, which finished in a three-way tie for first place along with Burroughs and Crescenta Valley, might very well be the front-runner.

Bri Castro is a senior shooting guard and the only returning starter for the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians, who were 21-8 overall and 10-4 in league a season ago, are still plenty potent.

“My expectations are to stay focused on the task ahead, play hard one play at a time, work together and get better individually and as a team as the season progresses,” said Ognayan, who saw the Indians lose to Walnut 43-38 in a CIF Southern Section Division II AA opening-round playoff match.

Oganyan, who played at Glendale High, has more than enough weapons at her disposal.

“Faith Boulanger, Dyani Del Castillo and Kayla Wrobel are all returning all-league players who we are going to count on to lead the way,” she said. “All three have experience and know what it takes to be successful at the varsity level.”

Boulanger is a 6-foot-1 junior center/forward, who can score from anywhere on the court and also collect rebounds.

Boulanger averaged 15 points and nearly eight boards for the Indians, who will visit Burbank on January 10 and host the Bulldogs on February 6.

Del Castillo (5-8) is a junior point guard with slick ball-handling skills, while Wrobel (5-11) is a junior power forward, who can score and grab rebounds.

Faith Boulanger is a junior center/power forward who can score, rebound and play defense for the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

There are three seniors on the team and include A’sia Morales (5-7), a point guard, Sophie Hawkins (5-7), a shooting guard and Hana Savola (5-11), a power forward.

The juniors on the squad are Lauren Lucas (5-5), a point guard and Sydney Martin (6-0), a center.

The available sophomores are Stephanie Wilson (5-4), a point guard, Noor Fahs (5-9), a small forward and Sarai Waddell (5-6), a shooting guard.

Three freshmen on also on the team and they are Isabella Roderick (5-11), a center, Ivana Razov (5-6), a shooting guard and Rachel Little (5-5), a point guard.

Jett Del Mundo is in his first season as coach of the Bulldogs, but has a quarter century of leading girls’ hoop programs, including Pasadena.

Kim Pimentel is a junior and the starting point guard for Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“My overall expectations for this group is to play better basketball, better team basketball than we did a season ago,” he said. “We won games because of our talent, but now we need to win games because we compete.”

Del Mundo then added: “We put a lot of hard work in the summer,” he noted. “They in turn wanted to participate in fall ball at Pasadena City College. I think we’re ready to start a new season and do better than a season ago.”

Del Mundo, a graduate of USC, feels confident that his team will have a productive season despite the graduation of highly-decorated power forward Osanna Tirityan, who did virtually everything on the floor.

Tirityan, an All-CIF selection, led the Bulldogs in multiple categories including points and rebounds.

Burbank finished last season with a 15-13 mark and 6-8 in league for fifth place, and didn’t get an at-large bid for the postseason tournament.

Also gone to graduation is starter Sofia Aslanyan. Track star Jayla Flowers decided to dedicated herself to her best sport.

Thirteen players comprise Burbank’s squad and includes five seniors, so there is enough leadership.

Two upper classmen are starters and includes Bri Castro, a gifted shooting guard and long-range shooter who is the only returning starter.

Kayla Wrobel is a junior power forward for Burroughs and a starter. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The other is center Adelina Bandarian, who will be asked to rebound and play defense, but can also put the ball in the hole.

“I’m approaching it like we can win hopefully every game,” Castro said. “But we have to play as a team and pass the ball. Last year I was mainly just a spot-up shooter. I want to be an all-around player. I want to drive to the basket more.”

What are some of Castro’s goals? “I kind of want to be all-league and I want to score more than 12 points a game,” she said.

Junior Kim Pimentel is also a starter and the point guard and captain and will have the ball in her hands a great deal.

“My expectations have been a little different this season. We’re starting over. We have only one returning starting player and that’s Bri. My expectations are pretty high,” Pimentel explained. “I have trust in my team and I think we can do really good. I just want to be the leader I can be. I just want to be there for my team. I want to be more aggressive on the court.”

Del Mundo will employ a three-guard offense, so the other backcourt starter will be sophomore Christina Ohanians.

Senior Khyla Lipscomb is the starting small forward, and ready to step in and contribute and so is freshman power forward Karen Casillas.

Senior small forward Valerie Martinez will likely see time on the floor and so will senior power forward Adriana Cabrera and junior guard Erika Montoya.

The rest of the team is comprised of junior forward Bella Jade, sophomore center Tabitha Cruz, sophomore small forward Emily Megerdichian and sophomore guard Alle Tarvirdi.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Falls To Crescenta Valley 32-29 On Last Second Three-Pointer

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By Rick Assad

 

At the end of the first half and at the close of the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s Pacific League girls’ basketball game, Burroughs High allowed extremely long three-pointers which essentially handed visiting Crescenta Valley a 32-29 triumph.

Faith Boulanger, being guarded by Caity Bouchard, scored just two points, both free throws. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Senior point guard Mari Lee scored a game-high nine points for the Falcons and all came via three-pointers.

“It’s supposed to be matched up and not let anything go deep behind us. We backed up a little too far,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said of the defensive strategy. “We let her have a running start.”

A hoop from senior guard Ariana Farias (team-high eight points) evened the score at 29-29 with five seconds left.

It appeared for all intents and purposes that the contest was going to overtime given that the Falcons had to go the length of the floor.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what they did and when Lee secured the ball in her hands and then launched a 35-footer at the buzzer, just like the first half 30-foot hoop that trimmed the Indians’ lead to 15-12, this one also swished through, but this time it gave the visitors a shocking three-point win that snapped a tie between the Indians and Falcons in league play.

Nicole Rumfola tallied a team-best seven points for Burroughs in a 32-29 setback to Crescenta Valley. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

With 2:10 remaining on the clock, a basket from Crescenta Valley senior power forward Alin Mazmanian (four points) shoved the Falcons (15-9 and 8-3 in league) ahead 28-25.

The Indians (18-7 and 7-4 in league) responded in kind as sophomore power forward Kayla Wrobel, who scored all of her six points in the fourth quarter, dropped in a bucket that sliced Crecenta Valley’s lead to 28-27 with 32.8 seconds left.

Crescenta Valley’s top scorer and best player, 6-foot senior shooting guard/power forward Caity Bouchard was limited to three points.

One of Bouchard’s points came at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter when she knocked down just one of three.

Dyani Del Castillo dropped in four points for the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Bouchard was held in check offensively primarily because the Indians played excellent team defense and also fronted her on occasion.

The opening half of the contest wasn’t filled with lot of points as the Indians outscored the Falcons 7-3 heading to the second quarter.

“They’re all tough losses. I don’t see the difference between this one and the one in December,” Oganyan said. “It’s not like we lost anything today. There’s no league title on the line.”

Senior forward Nicole Rumfola (seven points) drilled the Indians’ only three-pointer in the initial period while sophomore guard Dyani Del Castillo scored two of her four points and Farias also dropped in two points.

Faith Boulanger is shown passing the basketball against the Falcons. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Rumfola, Farias, junior guard A’sia Morales and sophomore center, 6-1 Faith Boulanger, all scored two points in the second quarter.

Boulanger finished with only two points and had been averaging more than 15 points on the season.

The Indians missed their first four attempts from the field in the third quarter and all four shots from the free-throw stripe and managed to tally six points.

Burroughs didn’t score until Rumfola broke the skid with a basket. After the Indians missed a shot, Del Castillo scored and after back-to-back unsuccessful tries, Farias scored.

The Falcons scored 10 points in the third frame with Lee and senior shooting guard Georgina Kregorian (five points) both hitting treys and led 22-21 heading into the fourth period.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Steamroll Rival Burbank, 71-34

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By Rick Assad
 
 

 

With the help of three players that reached double figures for the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team, the Indians were barely taxed in a showdown with city rival Burbank.

Behind Faith Boulanger’s game-best 20 points, host Burroughs cruised to an easy 71-34 win over the Bulldogs in a Pacific League match before a packed house on Friday night.

Faith Boulanger tries to block a shot during Friday’s 71-34 win over visiting Burbank. Boulanger scored a game-high 20 points. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We had higher energy and we were more conditioned,” said Boulanger, who had six steals. “I was pretty like excited and nervous. I’ve been with this team and I trust them and I know when we put our mind to it, we can do anything we want.”

Boulanger, a sophomore center, thought she played well, but said there’s room for improvement.

“I think personally I had a pretty good overall game,” she said. “I could have done some better things on defense. I could have helped more outside on one of their better players [Osanna Tirityan] and I could have taken some charges instead of blocking her shot.”

After hitting nine of 19 attempts in the first quarter, the Indians rolled ahead 20-10 with senior forward Nicole Rumfola (seven rebounds and four assists) scoring 11 of her 19 points while sophomore guard Dyani Del Castillo (14 points) dropped in five.

Burbank’s Emily Gutierrez is being defended by Camry Lotka. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I would say this is probably the best we’ve played for sure,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “This is the most complete game we’ve played.”

Oganyan said the rivalry between Burroughs and Burbank is nice and certainly special, but you can’t make it bigger than what it is.

“We prepared for this game like any other game,” Oganyan noted. “I know both teams are going to be up for the game. I think the difference was that we shot the ball with confidence.”

The Bulldogs (13 of 40 for 32.5 percent) were held to four of nine from the floor in the first period as sophomore small forward Jayla Flowers (nine points) and senior swingman Tirityan (team-high 14 points) each scored three points.

Dyani Del Castillo tallied 14 points for the Indians and hit four three-pointers. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We had no energy,” Burbank coach Jett Del Mundo said. “I think we were playing against the ghosts of last year. We made every play bigger than it needed to be. This was like a good league matchup. No one was going to win a championship.”

Boulanger canned a pair of three-pointers in the second quarter and had 10 points at halftime after tallying four points in the first period.

The Indians (15-6 and 5-3 in league) converted 14 of 24 shots at the intermission and were ahead 33-20, while the Bulldogs (13-8 and 5-3 in league) made eight of 19.

Del Castillo (six rebounds and four steals) nailed two of her four three-pointers in the third quarter and Boulanger added the third of four treys as the Indians hit five of 17 shots.

Faith Boulanger takes a jump shot and scored 10 points in each half and also collected six steals. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Flowers garnered four points in the third quarter for the Bulldogs, who will host the Indians on Jan. 31, and managed three of 11 from the floor and trailed 46-26 heading into the fourth quarter.

“Jayla played well, but she still had moments I wished she did things differently. But this is high school basketball,” Del Mundo said.

Nine players scored for the Indians (39.3 percent on 26 of 66 from the field) in the final frame with Boulanger scoring seven points and Rumfola dropping in four points.

Burroughs, which made nine from three-point range, drilled 10 of 17 from the free-throw line (58.8 percent).

Burbank, which hit two treys, made six of 12 (50 percent) from the charity line and was outrebounded, 40-32.

Burroughs sophomore power forward Kayla Wrobel accounted for three points, but pulled down a game-best 11 rebounds.

Senior point guard Ariana Farias scored four points and finished with five assists and five steals for the Indians.

Junior guard A’sia Morales tossed in three points for Burroughs, sophomore Sydney Martin had three points while senior forward Emily Gutierrez and senior forward Jhazmin Pitts each tossed in two points and senior guard Jordyn Jackson had one point.

Senior point guard Jasmine Chavez tallied five points for the Bulldogs, senior center Sofia Aslanyan, junior guard Brianna Castro and junior Adel Bandarian all scored two points.

Burbank Girls Basketball Cruises To 59-43 Triumph Over Muir

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By Rick Assad

 

A longtime starter and a key reserve were at the heart of Burbank High’s 59-43 victory over visiting Muir in a Pacific League girls’ basketball game on Friday night.

Senior center Sofia Aslanyan has been a three-year standout for the Bulldogs and was the offensive catalyst with a game-best 21 points, while sophomore small forward Jayla Flowers added five points, but more importantly grabbed key rebounds, handed out numerous assists and was a defensive sparkplug.

Burbank, which made 23 of 75 shot attempts for 30.6 percent and pulled down 64 rebounds, took control early and was ahead 11-8 after eight minutes and bulled in front 26-16 at the intermission.

“With Jayla we’re trying to find what’s her best role,” Burbank co-coach Jett Del Mundo said. “She adds so much more when she comes off the bench. She’s able to disrupt the opponent. She can really flourish in that role.”

Senior center Sofia Aslanyan, shown in a recent game, dropped in a game-best 21 points against Muir. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

A bucket by Aslanyan with 1:35 remaining in the second quarter gave the Bulldogs, who canned nine of 18 free throws, a 23-16 edge.

The Bulldogs entered the fourth quarter ahead 39-32, but broke the contest open with a 20-point fourth quarter.

“I hate to say it, but during the season the third quarter has been the worst quarter,” said Del Mundo, who was Pasadena’s coach before coming to Burbank.

A three-pointer by junior shooting guard Brianna Castro (11 points) with 4:26 showing in the third period pushed Burbank’s advantage to 36-22.

Tirityan’s hoop with 5:56 left on the ticker in the fourth quarter made it 46-33 and Castro’s third and final trey with 2:58 left in the fourth period made it 54-37.

Aslanyan failed to score in the first quarter, but then tacked on nine points in the second period.

Senior swingman Osanna Tirityan, who dropped in 14 points, tallied three points in the initial frame as the Bulldogs converted five of 22 shots (22.7 percent) from the field.

“We want to control the rhythm of the game,” Del Mundo said of the contest’s pace. “They have a very nice freshman post player (Olivia Hodges).”

Senior swingman Osanna Tirityan, pictured in a recent match, scored 14 points in a 16-point win over the Mustangs. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Tirityan added four points in the second quarter as Burbank (12-7 and 4-2 in league) made six of 19 (31.5 percent) from the floor.

Muir (4-8 and 0-6 in league) was paced by first-year power forward/center Hodges, who dropped in 18 points, including 12 points in the second half.

The Mustangs, who shot 24 percent (13 of 54) from the field and yanked down 37 caroms, came within seven points at the end of the third quarter and drew within six points, but then saw the Bulldogs pull ahead by 16 points.

Muir, which drilled 16 of 26 from the charity line, rallied in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 16-13 with Hodges tallying seven points and sophomore guard Jori Haleakala-Denson dropping in six of her 12 points.

Muir converted five of 28 shots (17.8 percent) in the opening half and improved slightly in the second half after hitting eight of 26 (30.7 percent).

The Bulldogs were successful 0n five of 16 shots (31.2 percent) in the third quarter and seven of 18 (38.8 percent) in the fourth period.

Senior point guard Emily Monterrey poured in five points for the Bulldogs, while junior center Adel Bandarian added two points and sophomore guard Erika Montoya tossed in one point.

Burbank Girls Hoops Can’t Keep Pace With Crescenta Valley

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By Rick Assad

 

From the outset, it seemed that everything was going wrong for the Burbank High girls’ basketball team.

The Bulldogs trailed by six points heading into the second period, were down by 16 at the half and 14 points through three frames and eventually lost 53-43 to host Crescenta Valley on Friday evening in a Pacific League matchup.

“We didn’t handle their pressure very well,” said Burbank interim coach Bruce Breeden. “We didn’t come ready to play. They took it to us early. We fought back, but it’s too hard to come back from 12 and 14 point deficits.”

Senior small forward Osanna Tirityan and sophomore guard Erika Montoya each scored 12 points for the Bulldogs, who trailed 13-7 after one quarter and 30-14 at the intermission.

Burbank made four of 18 shots (22.2 percent) from the field at the break and 12 of 40 (30 percent) during the game, while Crescenta Valley drilled 15 of 59 (25.4 percent) from the floor.

The Bulldogs (8-5 and 2-2 in league) outscored the Falcons 12-10 in the third quarter and tallied 17 points to 13 points for the Falcons (7-5 and 3-1 in league) in the fourth frame.

Montoya’s three-pointer with 5:43 left in the game sliced Crescenta Valley’s advantage to 42-31.

Jayla Flowers, shown in a recent game, scored 10 points in a 53-43 loss to Crescenta Valley. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

“She had kind of a breakout game offensively,” Breeden said of Montoya. “We look to her to continue that growth.”

When junior guard Brianna Castro (six points) knocked down a trey with 3:29 showing it trimmed the Falcons’ lead to 46-38.

Senior guard Georgina Kregorian scored 11 of her 16 points.

Kregorian nailed three of her four three-pointers in the opening period.

The Falcons made three of 12 (25 percent) from the floor and four of six from the free-throw line in the initial period.

The Falcons hit six of 18 (33.3 percent) from the floor in the second quarter with Kregorian scoring five points.

The Bulldogs hammered three of 10 (30 percent) from the field in the initial frame and one of eight (12.5 percent) in the second period, but made five of eight (62.5 percent) of their free throws.

Burbank was successful on six from three-point range and Crescenta Valley dropped in five treys.

On the night, Burbank converted 13 of 20 (65 percent) of its charity tosses, while Crescenta Valley hit 18 of 26 (69.2 percent).

Sophomore small forward Jayla Flowers (12 points) scored two points in the opening frame. Flowers then added five points in the second quarter and after not scoring in the third period, made five free throws in the fourth quarter.

Tirityan scored only two baskets, but was on the money from the free-throw line, making eight of 10.

Junior power forward Adrianna Cabrera had two points for the Bulldogs and senior point guard Emily Monterrey tossed in one point.

Crescenta Valley senior shooting guard Caity Bouchard tallied 12 of her 16 points in the second half and junior point guard Denise Dayag collected nine points.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Lead, Falter Late To Crescenta Valley

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By Rick Assad

 

For a good portion of Tuesday’s Pacific League girls’ basketball contest between visiting Burroughs High and Crescenta Valley, the Indians were in the driver’s seat.

This didn’t matter too much as the Falcons seized control in the last minutes and held on for a 46-43 win.

“Having our best player [Faith Boulanger] on the bench didn’t help. We made some turnovers,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “We should be taking care of the ball better. You gotta let your team play. They’re going to make mistakes.”

The Indians had several empty trips late in the match due to turnovers, but the key hoop was turned in by senior shooting Caity Bouchard (15 points) with 1:50 left in the fourth period as the Falcons moved ahead 38-37.

The win by the Falcons snapped the Indians’ nine game-winning streak and gave Crescenta Valley a 7-5 record and 3-1 mark in league play, while the Indians are 9-1 and 2-1 in league action.

Burroughs, shown in a game at Glendale, lost to host Crescenta Valley 46-43. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

“It’s a long season. It’s one game,” Oganyan said of the lone setback. “It helps you realize all the things you need to work on to get better.”

Burroughs, which made one of 11 shots from the floor at one juncture late in the final period, forged ahead 10-7 in the opening frame and then darted in front 21-15 at the intermission.

The Indians were in charge 33-26 heading in the final frame and were ahead until about two minutes were left.

Leading Burroughs was sophomore power forward Kayla Wrobel, who dropped in a team-best 13 points.

The Falcons, who hit nine of 14 from the free-throw and five of 11 from the floor in the fourth quarter, were led by senior guard Georgina Kregorian with a game-best 19 points.

“You’re playing a game with league ramifications in the second week of December,” Crescenta Valley coach Jason Perez said. “Usually we take December to figure it work. Today we grew up and stepped up. The defense was the key.”

The Indians, pictured against the Nitros, had too many turnovers against the Falcons. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

Burroughs, which shot 28 percent from the floor (14 of 50) took a three-point lead in the opening frame as senior small forward Nicole Rumfola scored three of her six points as the Indians converted four of 20 shots from the floor.

The Indians, who drilled 13 of 25 from the charity line for 52 percent, converted three of 19 shots in the second period.

Burroughs held a six-point edge at the intermission as Boulanger (11 points) scored five points.

Boulanger was slapped with her fourth foul midway through the third quarter and missed about half of the fourth period.

Kregorian scored five points in the first quarter and then added two points in the second stanza as the Falcons (31.1 percent on 14 of 45 from the field) made three of 12 in the first period and three of 10 in the second quarter.

The third period saw the Indians drill four of eight from the floor and hold a 12-11 scoring edge with sophomore power forward Kayla Wrobel tallying six of her eight points.

In that frame, Kregorian scored eight points as the Falcons were successful on three of 12 from the floor and five of eight from the free-throw stripe and made 16 of 26 for 61.5 percent during the game.

Senior guard Camryn Lotka scored five points for the Indians, while senior point guard Ariana Farias dropped in four.

Sophomore guard Dyani Del Castillo and senior guard Sophie Hawkins each had two points and junior guard A’sia Morales added one point.

Burroughs Girls Basketball Has Few Problems In 59-34 Win Over Glendale

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By Rick Assad

 

In a contest that was basically decided by rebounding, the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team doubled host Glendale’s total which led in part to a 59-34 Pacific League triumph on Friday night.

The Indians outrebounded the Nitros 46-23 including 29-14 in the opening half with sophomore shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo pulling down a game-best 11 rebounds and dropping in 12 points.

“Our goal was to play hard. To press. To play fast. I told them at the half that we were dominating the glass,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “The best teams are the one’s that the girls can make the decisions on their own.”

Burroughs is off and running against host Glendale. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

Oganyan, who played at Glendale, was pleased with the effort.

“We told them to keep up the aggressiveness on defense, but to slow it down on offense so we can be successful on our shots.”

Sophomore power forward/center Faith Boulanger collected eight caroms and scored a game-high 15 points with four steals.

Each team managed 12 points in the initial frame as five players contributed for the Indians (9-0 and 2-0 in league).

Del Castillo nailed a three-pointer and senior small forward Nicole Rumfola hit a trey for her only tally of the evening.

A 20-point second quarter eruption unfolded for the Indians, who made six of 18 from the floor after downing four of 22 from the field in the first period.

Boulanger delivered six points in the second quarter after making a pair of free throws in the opening frame.

Ariana Farias sets the tone for the Indians. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

Burroughs converted 10 of 13 from the charity stripe on the game, while Glendale hammered seven of 13.

Meanwhile the Nitros (8-7 and 1-1 in league) were held to seven points in the second period and fell behind 32-19 at the intermission.

Glendale converted four of 11 from the field in the first period and two of five in the second quarter.

Burroughs, which is ranked No. 22 in the state and No. 200 in the nation by the high school sports website MaxPreps.com, shot a little better in the third quarter, hitting five of 15 from the field and two of two from the free-throw line.

Del Castillo scored six points in the third period and Boulanger, who had recently injured her ankle, added five points.

Sophomore power forward Kayla Wrobel scored five of her 10 points in the fourth quarter as Burroughs made six of 10 from the field.

Kayla Wrobel, who scored 10 points, is getting inside position. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

Senior shooting guard Jillian Kukawski had four points and senior point guard Jordyn Jackson tallied three points for the Indians.

Senior point guard Camryn Lotka also added three points, junior point guard A’sia Morales contributed three points and junior shooting guard Sophie Hawkins also tossed in three points .

Senior point guard Ariana Farias had two points with eight assists and five steals.

Sophomore center Sydney Martin garnered two points and senior small forward Jhazmin Pitts added two points.

Glendale made 11 of 32 shots from the field for 34.3 percent and Burroughs was successful on 21 of 65 for 33.8 percent.

The Nitros were paced by senior Meri Chesbishian with 12 points, all coming on three-pointers.

Burbank, Burroughs Girls Basketball Seek CIF Playoffs

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By Rick Assad

 

When it comes to girls’ basketball, Burroughs High and Burbank both have quality programs and strong coaching leadership.

The Indians are coming off a season in which they went 23-8 overall and 11-3 in the Pacific League while reaching the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Burroughs lost a key player to graduation in Marin Grote, a 6-4 center, who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds and also played volleyball where she was a standout.

Osanna Tiritan should lead the Bulldogs in points and rebounds once again. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Currently Grote is at the University of Washington where she is on the women’s volleyball team.

“I expect our team to be prepared and competitive in every game,” longtime Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “As usual our league will be very tough. Arcadia, Crescenta Valley, Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena all are returning very good talent.”

It’s always exciting when the two city rivals meet.

Burroughs will host Burbank on Jan. 11 and the Bulldogs will host the Indians on Jan. 31.

The Indians, who are undefeated this season at 6-0, will very likely lean heavily on Faith Boulanger, a highly-skilled 5-11 sophomore center/power forward, who averaged 12.7 points with 7.3 rebounds and was selected all-league, first-team.

Despite being a freshman, Boulanger proved her worth early and was a major force on offensive and defensive.

Kayla Wrobel, a 5-10 sophomore power forward was a second-team, all-league pick after tossing in 5.4 points and 5.2 boards per game.

The Indians will be strong as usual and will fight for the top spot in the Pacific League. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

Dyani Del Castillo, a 5-8 sophomore shooting guard averaged 5.6 points and 4.4 caroms which translated into being tabbed honorable mention.

Ariana Farias is a 5-3 senior point guard and will lead the offense for Oganyan.

This job is critical because Farias sets the tone.

There are six returners from last year’s team and they include seniors Nicole Rumfola, a 5-9 small forward, Camryn Lotka, a 5-7 shooting guard, Emily Gutierrez, a 5-4 point guard and Jillian Kukawski, a 5-7 shooting guard.

There are two juniors on the squad and they are Sophie Hawkins, a 5-7 shooting guard and A’sia Morales, a 5-7 shooting guard.

The rest of the team will consist of seniors Jhazmin Pitts and Jordyn Jackson and freshman Noor Fahs.

It’s a certainty that the best player on the floor for the Bulldogs, who went 10-18 and 5-9 in league and are 5-2 this season, will be Osanna Tirityan, a 5-9 senior small forward.

“She does everything for us,” Burbank interim coach Bruce Breeden said of Tirityan, who averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds and was named all-league, first-team three consecutive years.

Sofia Aslanian, a 5-10 senior power forward, is likewise a three-year starter. “Sofia controls the boards and gives us leadership,” Breeden said.

Jayla Flowers is a 5-7 sophomore shooting guard and junior Brianna Castro is a 5-5 shooting guard.

“Jayla is a great athlete,” Breeden said of Flowers, who was an honorable mention. “Brianna is our best shooter.”

Also on the team will be Emily Monterrey, a 5-5 senior point guard, Jasmine Chavez, a 5-3 senior point guard and Roxy Payinid, a 5-6 sophomore point guard.

Rounding out the squad are Dakota Cortez, a 5-6 senior small forward, Adel Bandarian, a 5-9 junior power forward, Adrianna Cabrera, a 5-8 junior small forward and Kim Pimentel, a 5-4 sophomore point guard.

Rounding out the squad will be senior small forward Serlie Pouladian, senior small forward Knar Geghamya, junior small forward Val Martinez and sophomore guard Erika Montoya.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Tame Visiting Burbank 54-41

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By Rick Assad

 

After a pedestrian 3-3 record to commence the Pacific League portion of its schedule, the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team rallied and ended with an eight-game winning streak that included a 54-41 victory over visiting Burbank on Thursday night.

The Indians, with the triumph, are locked in a three-way tie with Glendale and Crescenta Valley, which fell to Arcadia 57-47.

Burroughs senior center Marin Grote scored eight points with 14 rebounds and seven blocks in a 54-41 win over Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Backed by freshman power forward Faith Boulanger’s game-best 23 points, the Indians (21-7 and 11-3 in league) led from start to finish and now await Sunday’s CIF Southern Section playoff pairings.

A coin flip will determine the actual order each team will finish and also help seed the squads.

“The teams in our league are pretty good,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “The coaches are good. It’s never easy, even when you’re up it doesn’t mean anything. The other teams are always going to make a run. I like the way our team responded.”

Boulanger scored in every quarter, but was especially effective in the first and fourth periods.

Burbank shooting guard Osanna Tirityan dropped in 11 points and had eight points at halftime. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs darted ahead 39-29 with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter after junior shooting guard Jillian Kukawski (five points) canned a three-pointer.

But with 4:19 remaining, a hoop from Burbank junior point guard Emily Monterrey (three points) trimmed the lead to 39-34.

The Indians were in front 19-11 after the first quarter with Boulanger tallying eight points.

Boulanger’s total offset Burbank freshman small forward Jayla Flowers, who had 10 of her team-best 15 points in the opening stanza.

“We came out and we played tough. We weren’t over excited,” Burbank coach John Wells said after his team went 11-19 and 5-9 in league for sixth and will miss the playoffs. “We were right there where we needed to be. We played them a lot tougher than the first time.”

Freshman small forward Jayla Flowers led the way for the Bulldogs with 15 points. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Wells noted the game after Monterrey’s hoop could have gone either way.

“A couple of bounces go our way, it goes from five to one,” he said. “The bounces go their way, it goes from five to nine.”

In the initial frame, senior center Marin Grote (eight points) and junior point guard Ariana Farias (nine points with five assists) each scored four points for the Indians, who shot 37.2 percent (19 of 51) from the field.

“I just wanted to come out and play our game and not worry about any of the festivities,” said Grote, who grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds with seven blocks. “I just wanted to come out like a team and play like a team and I think that we did.”

Burroughs was held to eight points in the second quarter with Boulanger and Farias each dropping in three points, while freshman power forward Kayla Wrobel scored two points.

Flowers delivered four points in the second quarter, while junior shooting guard Osanna Tirityan had two of her 11 points for the Bulldogs, who made 15 of 49 for 30.6 percent.

Emily Monterrey’s hoop with 4:19 left cut Burroughs’ lead to 39-34. Monterrey is being guarded by Ariana Farias (#2) and Faith Boulanger (#32), who scored a game-best 23 points. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank outscored Burroughs 10-9 in the third quarter with Tirityan and junior power forward Sofia Aslanyan (12 points and six rebounds) each tallying four points and trailed 36-29 heading into the fourth quarter.

Boulanger’s seven points in the fourth period helped the Indians outscore the Bulldogs 18-12.

Meanwhile, Aslanyan accounted for six points and Tirityan, an All-CIF performer last season, pulled down six rebounds and added four points in the final period.

Burroughs freshman shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo scored four points including a trey in the first quarter and senior point guard Jenny Galvan contributed a three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

The Indians were successful on 11 of 15 from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs made 11 of 22 and were outrebounded 39-33.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Rallies Past Crescenta Valley 50-36

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By Rick Assad

 

For one game, youth was served as three freshmen for the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team accounted for 36 points during Friday night’s 50-36 win over host Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League showdown.

First-year power forward Faith Boulanger tossed in a game-best 22 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, power forward Kayla Wrobel added nine points with three caroms and shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo chimed in with five points, all in the first quarter.

The Indians (19-7 and 9-3 in league) avenged a 54-52 overtime loss to the Falcons (19-6 and 10-2 in league) on Jan. 12 and remain in the hunt for the league title.

Burroughs has a home game against Pasadena on Tuesday and will host rival Burbank on Thursday in the regular-season finale.

Marin Grote (#44), shown in a game against Glendale, had six points and 12 rebounds in a 50-36 win over host Crescenta Valley. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

What was the key to Friday’s victory?

“Picking up our pressure. Our full-court press really helped us,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “They kind of struggled against that. I thought it was also important because it tired them out. We made the game faster and they were just kind of tired.”

The Indians trailed 24-17 at halftime, but trimmed the lead to 35-29 heading into the fourth quarter when they outscored the Falcons 21-1 after canning nine of 13 shots from the field.

In fact, so overwhelming was Burroughs that it outscored Crescenta Valley 33-12 during the second half.

“I’m super proud of our kids,” Oganyan noted. “I was telling my coaches we’ve had some like crazy wins. Crazy streaks, but this game is probably up there. This was just exciting.”

A bucket by junior swingman Jillian Kukawski (12 points) saw the Indians grab a 36-35 edge with 5:05 left.

With 4:20 left on the clock, Burroughs then moved in front 38-35 on a hoop from Wrobel.

When Wrobel scored with 3:29 left, the Indians took control 40-35 as the Falcons called time out.

The Indians, shown in a recent game against the Nitros, outscored the Falcons 33-12 in the second half. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

“They were determined and poised,” Oganyan said of her team. “They went into attack mode. We got down early. I’m proud of the way we came back.”

In the fourth frame, Crescenta Valley missed all 14 shots from the field with the only point a free throw from senior shooting guard Sarah Perez (nine points).

The Falcons converted 27.9 of their shots (12 of 43) from the floor, while the Indians hit 19 of 41 for 46.3 percent.

Burroughs dominated the backboards, outrebounding Crescenta Valley 45-17, including 23-8 in the second half.

The Indians fell behind 12-7 after the initial frame as senior shooting guard Rachel Dayag (team-high 12 points) and Perez each scored five points.

Del Castillo scored five points in the first period, while Boulanger hit two free throws and finished 10 of 10 from the charity line.

In the second quarter, Dayag dropped in a trey, added a free throw and then delivered the third from three-point range in the third quarter.

Burroughs senior center Marin Grote (12 rebounds) scored all of her six points in the second quarter, while Boulanger contributed four points.

Boulanger tallied eight points in the third quarter including six points coming at the free-throw stripe and junior point guard Ariana Farias added two points.

Boulanger again scored eight points in the fourth period, while Wrobel dropped in seven points and Kukawski had six.

Despite the Falcons shooting decently in the opening half (42.8 percent on nine of 21), they struggled mightily in the second half, making three of 23 for 13 percent.

During that same stretch, the Indians converted 12 of 21 for 57.1 percent, made nine of 11 from the free-throw line and finished 11 of 19, while the Falcons drilled five of 10 free throws.

“There were some things we weren’t doing,” Crescenta Valley coach Jason Perez said. “We weren’t playing very good defense  We weren’t attacking and  breaking the press easily. We had about four layups we missed. Four or five wide open threes. I think we missed free throws. It hasn’t happened to us all year. We haven’t gotten cold like that. The entire team went cold.”