Tag Archives: girls water polo

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Reaches CIF Division VI Quarterfinals

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By Rick Assad

 

A pound of confidence has gone a really long way for the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team.

It seems after falling to perennial power Crescenta Valley 8-6 on Feb. 8 in the Pacific League championship, this has empowered the Indians to reach the CIF Southern Section Division VI quarterfinals after sideswiping visiting Walnut 13-5 in the second round on Thursday afternoon.

Gwendolyn Turla scored two goals and added four steals in a CIF Southern Section second-round win over Walnut. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“That game versus CV just showed the girls that we are a force to be reckoned with,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “It’s really cool to see their confidence. This is the most confident they’ve been all season. They’re taking it to the next level.”

Behind the overall play of junior utility Aleah Orozco, who had a match-high five goals with four steals and junior attacker Brianna Meneses with three goals, the Indians (12-5) will now play Tustin on Saturday.

“I think honestly, because CV has been a really big rival of ours since forever, that we’ve always come after them and I really think that we came so close to them and that made us more confident,” Orozco said.

Junior Isabella Erickson and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan, the backup, were both outstanding in Thursday’s rout of the Mustangs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Orozco added: “The confidence somehow turned a lightbulb in our head and caused our offense and defense to get better.”

Senior utility Gwendolyn Turla (four steals) along with senior attacker Bianca Sanchez each dropped in two goals while senior attacker Cameron Flores added one goal.

“Nice balance of having a very good defense and then having scorers all around,” Cook said. “Our defense played a really tight press. They were playing in their face. They’re really confident.”

Burroughs, which lost to Crescenta Valley 11-6 in its first league encounter on Jan. 9, sprinted ahead 3-2 in the first quarter.

Turla’s eight-footer with an assist from junior goalie Isabella Erickson made it 1-0 with 6:01 left on the clock.

Orozco’s 12-footer with an assist from Turla evened it at 2-2 with 3:25 left in the period.

The Indians were sharp-shooters against Walnut, which lost 13-5 on Thursday. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

When Flores found the back of the net on a 10-foot dart with Turla’s assist and 1:34 remaining, the Indians waltzed ahead 3-2.

Burroughs pulled in front 6-3 at halftime after Sanchez unloaded an eight-footer on an assist from Flores with 6:40 on the ticker that made it 4-2.

The Indians’ advantage swelled to 5-2 with 2:33 left in the second period on Turla’s 12-footer with an assist from sophomore goalie Emmanuella Nathan.

When Orozco scored on a five-foot blast with help from Sanchez and five seconds left, the lead ballooned to 6-3.

Sanchez scored on an eight-foot dagger with Turla’s assist that pushed the margin to 7-3 with 6:48 left in the third quarter.

Orozco scored from eight feet with 5:11 on the clock to make it 8-3 and Orozco then added a 10-footer with 4:32 left that made it 9-3 heading into the fourth period.

A tally by Orozco from five feet supplied the Indians a 11-3 edge with 5:51 showing.

Meneses then scored three goals in the fourth period that included a 12-footer with 6:37 left for a 10-3 lead, a 12-footer on an assist from junior attacker Isabel Rosado with 3:18 remaining for a 12-4 edge and an eight-footer on another assist from Rosado with 2:32 left that made it 13-4.

Senior Kaitlin Garrett knocked in three goals for the Mustangs (13-13) and junior Paris Alvarado chipped in with two.

Garrett’s 10-footer with 4:03 left evened it at 1-1 in the initial frame and Garrett’s 10-footer gave Walnut a 2-1 lead with 3:42 left heading into the second quarter.

Garrett’s eight-footer with an assist from Alvarado and 1:24 left before the half cut the Indians’ lead to 5-3.

Alvarado’s five-meter penalty shot with 5:36 left in the match shaved the advantage to 11-4 and Alvarado’s six-footer with 54 seconds showing made it 13-5.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Pounds Visiting Nipomo 14-3

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By Rick Assad

For the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team on Tuesday night, it was all about in-your-face defense.

So overwhelming and sure was this applied to visiting Nipomo during a CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round playoff game, it helped the Indians prevail 14-3.

The Indians (11-5 and 6-2 for second place in the Pacific League) will now host Walnut on Thursday at 5 p.m. in a second-round encounter.

“I was confident in my girls after the way they played against CV last week,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “I was confident in their skill. Confident in their ability and they came out and showed that today.”

Four players scored for Burroughs, which snapped a six-game playoff losing streak, as senior utility Gwendolyn Turla and senior attacker Cameron Flores each tallied four goals.

Junior Amy Berberyan is about to take a shot against Nipomo’s Katrina Snyder in a CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round playoff match. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“Overall it was a good team effort,” said Turla of the defensive that at times prevented the Titans from even getting off a shot. “Both offense and defense. It really motivates us to try harder.”

The initial goal came with 5:30 left in the first quarter when Turla, with an assist from junior utility Aleah Orozco, unloaded a six-footer.

When Flores dented the back of the net from eight feet and 3:32 remaining in the opening frame, the Indians’ lead became 2-1.

With 57 seconds left in the same stanza, Flores tossed in an eight-footer that made it 3-1.

Burroughs’ first-quarter barrage was capped off with an eight-footer and 21 seconds left from senior setter Bianca Sanchez with an assist from Orozco.

Sanchez’s goal from five feet with 6:16 showing in the second quarter made it 5-1 and with 4:23 left on the clock before halftime, Orozco’s 12-footer with an assist from Turla pushed the lead to 6-1.

For Burroughs, it was all about defense when it faced the visiting Titans, which fell 14-3 on Tuesday. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Turla’s goal from eight feet with an assist from Flores made it 7-1 with 3:48 left in the second period.

Twenty-five seconds later, an eight-foot bullet from Sanchez with help from Orozco made it 8-1 and forced Nipomo (13-8 nd 7-2 for third place in the Los Padres League) to ask for time out.

“They were keeping the press tight,” Cook said of his overwhelming defense. “They were going from steals right off the passes from the goalie. They were playing really well and really on top of it.”

Cook also liked that multiple players found the back of the net. “Really balanced scoring,” he said. “That’s always good. We have threats everywhere.”

Burroughs then glided in front 9-1 after Orozco, with an assist from Sanchez, launched an eight-foot dart and 2:07 left before the break.

The Indians’ lead became 10-1 on a 10-foot laser by Orozco with 1:32 left as Turla added an assist.

Burroughs ended the opening half with a 12-footer from Flores that pushed the lead to 11-2 as Orozco tossed in an assist.

The only goal that the Indians scored in the third quarter came with 2:04 left when Flores found the back of the net for a 12-2 cushion.

Turla added a pair of goals in the fourth quarter and they came with 2:31 showing from eight feet that made it 13-2 and a 10-footer with 21 seconds on the clock for a 14-3 edge.

Junior Isabella Erickson and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan were both stellar in goal for the Indians.

For the visiting Titans, Carly Billinger showed the way after tallying two goals with an assist.

Billinger’s goal from 10 feet with 4:26 left in the first quarter evened it at 1-1 and her tally from five feet with 34 seconds left in the match trimmed Burroughs’ lead to 14-3.

Billinger’s assist with 1:10 remaining in the opening half sliced the Indians’ advantage to 10-2.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Fends Off Stubborn Burbank 12-5

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By Rick Assad

 

A better and more efficient start would have been preferred by the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team when it faced host Burbank.

With 5:40 left in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Pacific League match, it was tied after the Bulldogs scored, but the Indians then rattled off four consecutive tallies that included an 8-1 run and collected a 12-5 victory.

“We made some adjustments here and there,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “We shut them down from there. It was a good game overall today.”

Burroughs (6-4 and 2-1 in league) held Burbank (4-7 and 0-3 in league) to one goal in the third quarter and none in the fourth period.

Burbank, shown warming up in a recent match, played visiting Burroughs tough early, but fell 12-5. (Photo by Rick Assad)

With 4:10 on the clock in the second period, Burroughs senior utility Gwendolyn Turla scored on an eight-footer that made it 5-4 and with 3:29 remaining the lead swelled to 6-4 on a goal by junior utility Aleah Orozco from close range.

“I think we came in a little bit, maybe overconfident,” Orozco said, “and then we came to the realization that Burbank is a tough team and we need to get it together in order to play against our rival school and I think once that happened and we got in the right mental state, then things started to go our way.”

Orozco said she noticed early that the Bulldogs were aggressive. “I feel like in any type of sport, once it becomes more intense, you try to be more aggressive and they became a lot more aggressive,” she noted, “but we became back equally aggressive.”

The Indians’ lead became 7-4 when Turla scored on a five-footer and with nine seconds left before halftime, a 25-foot floater from senior attacker Cameron Flores pushed the margin to 8-4.

Gwendolyn Turla, with the ball, scored a match-best five goals for the Indians in a Pacific League win over the host Bulldogs. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

A goal from 10 feet by Burbank senior utility Lexi Lyneis evened it at 4-4 in the second quarter.

Lyneis collected her initial goal with 1:59 left in the first quarter on a 20-footer that tied it at 3-3.

“We just made a few mistakes that they capitalized on,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said. “We were making mistakes and too close together and they were making the steals.”

It took a while before a goal was scored in the third quarter as Turla found the back of the net on an eight-foot penalty shot that made it 9-4 as 3:19 remained.

With 1:15 left in the same frame it became 10-4 on a five-footer by senior setter Bianca Sanchez, but Burbank, which committed 19 turnovers, sliced it to 10-5 on senior driver Sune Aghakian’s 10-footer with 1:01 left.

In the fourth period it was all Burroughs which pulled ahead 11-5 with 3:52 left on a tally from three-feet by junior attacker Samantha Leano.

Thirty-eight seconds later a goal from five-feet by Sanchez shoved the Indians ahead 12-5.

The Bulldogs marched in front 1-0 on junior utility Patil Minassian’s three-footer with 5:58 showing, but twenty seconds later it was deadlocked at 1-1 on Turla’s 10-footer.

Sanchez’s short-range rocket with 4:56 left made it 2-1, however, the Bulldogs evened it at 2-2 on junior driver Michelle Morlock’s point-blank bullet and 4:06 on the clock.

Turla’s nine-footer with 2:12 left gave the Indians a 3-2 edge and Sanchez’s eight-footer with 1:05 on the ticker capped the period as the Indians led 4-3 heading into the second period.

Burbank junior goalie Suzie Misiryan and Burroughs’ junior goalie Isabella Erickson and sophomore net keeper Emmanuella Nathan all played well.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Loses 13-7 To Pasadena

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By Rick Assad

 

Similar overall records promised a fairly close and competitive Pacific League girls’ water polo match on Tuesday when Burbank High hosted Pasadena.

Despite failing to score in the first quarter, Burbank rallied in the third period and came within three goals late in the frame, and one goal early in the fourth period, but ultimately fell 13-7 in the league opener.

Burbank Coach Allyson Young likes how her team played in the third quarter. (Photo by Rick Assad)

Three players scored for Burbank (4-5 and 0-1 in league) with senior utility Lexi Lyneis and senior driver Sune Aghakian each knocking in three goals and junior driver Michelle Morlock adding one.

“If we would have had a better start and worked together and not put so much pressure on each other, would have made safer passes and protected the ball, it would have been a lot closer in the beginning,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said.

Young then added: “The third quarter they played great, but then the fourth quarter they all fell apart again. So what we need to do is expand that third quarter to all of our quarters,” she said.

Burbank outscored Pasadena 4-2 in the third quarter and a tally from 10 feet by Lyneis and 2:51 left cut Pasadena’s edge to 9-4.

A 15-foot blast by Lyneis with 2:04 remaining shaved it to 9-5 and her five-footer with 1:09 on the clock made it 9-6.

Morlock’s eight-foot dart with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter shaved Pasadena’s lead to 9-7.

Aghakian’s strike from five feet with 2:27 on the ticker in the second quarter sliced Pasadena’s advantage to 5-1 and Aghakian’s 15-footer with 11 seconds left before halftime saw Burbank move within 7-2.

Young liked what she saw in the third quarter and wants to see more of it. “They were communicating,” she said. “They were swimming down and driving. They were working together. They were playing as a team rather than a bunch of individuals.”

The Burbank girls’ water polo team warming up before Tuesday’s match with Pasadena. (Photo by Rick Assad)

Pasadena (4-6 and 1-0 in league) was led by senior Fernanda Alvarez with a match-best five goals, including two tallies in the first and second quarter.

Senior Shannon Brierty added three goals for the visitors, who led 3-0 after the first frame and 7-2 at the intermission.

“We did come out quick. We knew we had some fast swimmers that could do counter attack,” Pasadena coach Sean Phillips said. “Be pretty dangerous as far as offense goes. So we knew we’d get quick goals in the beginning, at least have the possibility.”

Phillips went on: “In the first half, I was really pleased with our girls. Pretty tenacious. But you got to hand it to Burbank for their resiliency. They had that comeback. It made me really nervous in the third quarter, especially.”

Pasadena scored two goals in the third frame with Brierty knocking one home from five-feet with 6:24 left that made it 8-2 and sophomore Nicole Wallius from five feet with 5:43 left for a 9-2 edge.

Pasadena pulled ahead 1-0 on senior Calypso Brenard’s goal from 10 feet and 5:01 left.

Alvarez scored back-to-back tallies including one with 1:30 left on a 10-foot backhander and a three-footer with 1:02 remaining that made it 3-0.

Pasadena increased its advantage to 5-0 in the second quarter on a 10-foot goal from senior Sara Winsky with 4:40 left and a 10-footer with 3:22 showing from Brierty.

Alvarez scored with 2:06 left from three-feet that made it 6-1 and then added another three-footer with 1:34 showing for a 7-1 edge.

Pasadena ended the fourth quarter by scoring four straight goals that included a tally from Brenard from six feet with 5:19 left that made it 10-7, Wallius locating the back of the net from five feet at 4:59 for a 11-7 cushion, Brierty drilling one from three feet and 3:19 left for a 12-7 margin and Alvarez’s bullet from five feet with 1:58 left for a 13-7 lead.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Gets Revenge Over San Marino

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By Rick Assad

 

With five minutes and 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter and trailing by a goal, the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team shifted into another gear.

In so doing, the Indians finished with a flourish, tallying four straight goals and walked away with an 11-8 triumph over visiting San Marino in a nonleague clash Thursday afternoon.

Having lost to the Titans 10-9 in overtime in the Burbank Tournament, which was the Indians’ first game of the season, there may have been a little revenge on their minds.

“We already played them and that’s exactly how it went,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said of the two close matches. “They [Burroughs] got it together at the end which was good. They got the stops on defense and they played at the end how they should have played the whole game.”

Senior utility Gwendolyn Turla scored four goals for the Indians in an 11-8 nonleague win over San Marino. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

An eight-foot tally by Burroughs junior attacker Camila Panoza evened it at 8-8 with 4:56 left.

When senior setter Bianca Sanchez put one in from the same distance and 2:47 on the clock, the Indians (4-2) darted ahead 9-8.

Senior utility Gwendolyn Turla, who delivered a team-best 67 goals last season, then found the back of the net on a 12-footer with an assist from junior utility Aleah Orozco with 2:14 remaining to make it 10-8.

Turla’s 14-foot blast with 1:39 left that made it 11-8, forced the Titans (8-2), who placed second in the Burbank tourney and are ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Division VI, to ask for time out.

Sophomore goalie Emmanuella Nathan blocks a Titan shot. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

“They did beat us by one and we were shaken up by it because we were really upset,” said Turla, who finished with a co-team high four goals, of the earlier loss to San Marino. “Knowing that we could come back and beat them and have our team build up some stamina and more endurance really helped us beat them. Overall this team played really well and I’m really proud of them.”

When San Marino senior Annette Aledeffa uncorked a six-footer with 5:44 left in the fourth quarter, the Titans seized control 8-7.

The first quarter was knotted at 2-2 on Sanchez’s goal from eight feet with 4:48 left and Sanchez’s bullet with 16 seconds left tied it at 2-2.

San Marino’s goals were knocked in by freshman Isabella Lee from five feet with two minutes showing that evened it at 1-1 and junior Elizabeth Lee’s goal with 26 seconds remaining gave the Titans a 2-1 advantage.

Gwendolyn Turla (#14) and San Marino freshman Isabella Lee fight for position. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Indians outscored the Titans 3-2 in the second frame as Turla’s 10-footer  with 2:11 on the clock pulled the Indians in front 4-3 and Turla’s mid-pool rainbow with one second left supplied Burroughs with a 5-4 edge.

Senior attacker Cameron Flores had a 10-foot tally with 5:10 left in the second period that tied it at 3-3.

San Marino’s scoring in the second stanza fell on the shoulders of Isabella Lee and came with 6:03 left on a six-footer for a 3-2 cushion and a 15-footer with five seconds left on an assist from Aledeffa that leveled it at 4-4.

The Indians and Titans each scored two goals in the third period with Orozco knocking in a 10-footer with an assist from Sanchez that pushed the Indians in front 6-5 with 2:57 left and Sanchez drilling an eight-footer with 1:52 showing to make it 7-5 in favor of the Indians.

Aledeffa’s five-foot laser with 6:15 on the ticker in the fourth quarter tied it at 7-7 and San Marino senior Marika Brunochelli’s goal from eight feet with 1:13 on the clock in the third quarter shaved the lead to 7-6.

Junior Isabella Erickson and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan each saw significant time in goal for the Indians.

Burbank, Burroughs Girls Water Polo Have High Expectations

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By Rick Assad

Expectations are genuinely upbeat for the Burbank High and Burroughs girls’ water polo teams.

“I am very excited for our upcoming season,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “We have a lot of talented and experienced members returning who are well-rounded and play well together.”

Spearheading the Indians, who went 10-9 overall and 5-3 in the Pacific League with an opening-round setback in the CIF Southern Section playoffs a season ago, is senior utility Gwendolyn Turla.

Senior Gwendolyn Turla led the Indians in scoring with 67 goals. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

An offensive threat every time Turla had the ball in her hands, she tallied a team-high 67 goals and averaged 3.5 goals per game, with 22 steals and 12 assists.

Four seniors join Turla, who had 140 shots on goal, and they include attacker Cameron Flores, attacker Alice Martinez, setter Bianca Sanchez and attacker Andrea Silva.

Ten juniors will be asked to contribute offensively and play defense and they are attacker Amy Berberyan, attacker Leann Bermudez, attacker Samantha Leano, attacker Madeline Lingad, attacker Brianna Meneses, utility Aleah Orozco, attacker Camilla Panoza, attacker Isabel Rosado, attacker Katie Vlick, goalie Isabella Erickson, and Emmanuella Nathan, a sophomore, will play goalie.

The Indians are 0-1 this season after losing to San Marino 9-8 in the Burbank Tournament and will launch their league campaign on Jan. 9 when they host Crescenta Valley and will visit archrival Burbank on Jan. 16.

Burbank coach Allyson Young also thinks the Bulldogs will have a successful campaign.

Burroughs will face host Burbank on Jan. 16. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I expect to have a better season than last season because I have a lot of returners,” said Young, whose team went 6-18 overall and didn’t make the playoffs after finishing fifth in the league.

Young will have six returners and they include senior driver Sune Aghakian, who tossed in a team-best 49 goals and senior utility Lexi Lyneis, who had 38 tallies.

The others are senior driver Tara Goodwin, junior utility Patil Minassian, junior driver Camila Salas and junior driver Michelle Morlock.

Young said that she is counting on this group of veterans to help the other players who have less experience.

“I think they can be good leaders because they understand what it takes to play on the varsity level,” Young said.

The Bulldogs, who are 3-1 after defeating host La Salle 16-3, losing to host San Marino 6-5, then knocking off Louisville 9-7 and Torrance 8-3 in the Burbank Tournament, commence league play on Jan. 9 against Pasadena.

The remainder of the squad includes senior driver Valentina Abadjian, senior driver Angelica Perez, senior driver Melissa De La Cruz, junior goalie Suzie Misiryan, sophomore driver Sera Saahbazian, sophomore driver Sophia Brice and sophomore driver Michelle Mirzoyan.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Comes Up Short Against Louisville, 7-6

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By Rick Assad

 

Season openers can be tricky at times and it was for the Burbank High girls’ water polo team on Tuesday.

After an even opening half, the Bulldogs came on strong in the fourth quarter, but still lost to visiting Louisville in a nonleague affair, 7-6.

“They tried their hardest and they’re going to improve,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said. “It was more of a learning experience for some of the girls who haven’t played on the varsity after playing on the junior varsity. There’s a big difference.”

The game-winning tally came with 13 seconds left and was scored by Claire Iannetta on a back-handed throw from 10 feet.

The Bulldogs trailed 4-3 entering the final frame and then fell behind 6-3 on back-to-back goals from Emily Gaines, who finished with a match-best three tallies.

When Gaines scored with 5:22 left in the fourth period it became 5-3 and her shot with 4:44 left on the clock made it a three-goal lead.

But the Bulldogs, who were outshot 23-15, rallied with three consecutive goals to even it at 6-6.

Sophomore driver Michelle Morlock put in a five-meter penalty toss with 4:16 showing in the final period that trimmed the advantage to 6-4.

Burbank came within 6-5 on a score from junior driver Sune Aghakian on a 15-foot shot and 2:42 left.

Suddenly it was level at 6-6 after sophomore driver Camila Salas knocked one into the net from 15 feet as 43 seconds remained.

“They’re going to learn how to play together and they’re going to get much more comfortable,” Young said of her squad that has four seniors on a team of 10.

The Royals led 1-0 on a close-range shot from Rafaella Armeni with 2:48 on the clock in the opening frame only to see the Bulldogs even it at 1-1 on senior driver Stephanie O’Brien’s goal from three feet and 2:22 left.

Burbank took command 3-1 after senior driver Cynthia Abramian launched a 25-foot rainbow and 4:52 remaining to make it 2-1 and it swelled to 3-1 on a goal from seven-feet by Morlock with 3:19 left.

The Royals shaved the lead to 3-2 on a five-foot throw from Sophia Tsavallas and 2:20 showing before the intermission and then evened it at 3-3 when Gaines scored off a rebound with 1:14 remaining.

“I think we were a little more conditioned and that worked to our advantage,” Louisville coach Kendra Klein said. “I had no idea what to expect because I didn’t scout Burbank. But they’re a scrappy team.”

There was only one goal scored in the third stanza and that was off a rebound effort by Tsavallas with 1:46 left.

“I gave them [the team] the key and for the most part they executed the game plan,” Klein said.

Locals Have Some Success In CIF Opening-Round Matches

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By Rick Assad
Sports Editor

 

The Burroughs High and Burbank boys’ basketball seasons will continue after two impressive playoff wins on Wednesday.

The Indians bulldozed past host Alhambra 72-45 in a CIF Southern Section Division 1-A match while the visiting Bulldogs pushed aside Garden Grove 62-54 in a Division II-AA encounter.

Both teams have games tonight at home with 7 p.m. starts as the Indians (20-7) face Beaumont (24-3) and the Bulldogs (19-10) meet El Cajon (20-7).

Junior power forward Tristen Hull was nearly unstoppable in the paint as he finished with 24 points along with 10 rebounds and three assists for the Indians, who splashed in 10 from three-point range.

Meanwhile senior shooting guard Steven Hubbell had 17 points with five assists and hit five of six treys.

Senior point guard Eric Allen dropped in eight points with five boards and senior wing Nick Howard added six points with four caroms and two steals.

It was tied early at 5-5, but Burroughs went on a 14-4 spurt and led 19-9 after the first quarter and then pulled ahead by nine points at the break.

“We controlled most of the game,” Burroughs coach Adam Hochberg said. “We were balanced and we exploited our size.”

The Bulldogs were paced by junior swingman Michael Woods with 16 points followed by senior shooting guard Ellie Hanno and junior forward Ben Chavez each scoring 15 points.

Burbank bolted ahead 21-13 at the first quarter, but Garden Grove outscored the Bulldogs 19-11 in the second quarter and it was tied 32-32 at the half.

The Bulldogs scored 18 points in the third quarter and limited Garden Grove to nine points and pulled in front 50-41 heading into the final quarter.

In other playoff matches, the Burbank girls’ hoop team fell to host Garden Grove 49-44 in overtime in a Division II-AA clash on Thursday.

Senior power forward Christina Mkrtchyan’s three-pointer evened it at 41-41 with four seconds left.

The Bulldogs (18-11) led 15-12 after the initial quarter and it was knotted 24-24 at intermission before Garden Grove (21-6) jumped ahead 35-34 after three quarters.

Junior small forward Stephanie Grigorian showed the way for the Bulldogs with 12 points and all of her points came via the three-point line.

The Burbank girls’ soccer team knocked off host Culver City 1-0 in a Division IV match behind a goal from Dalia Farazdaghi in the first half on Thursday.

Bonita routed visiting Burroughs in a Division IV girls’ water polo match 17-6, on Thursday, but senior goalie Kate Wilke had 10 saves and 317 for the season, breaking the mark held by Ahsha Earwood. Wilke finished with 591 saves, 11 more than Earwood.

The visiting Burroughs girls’ soccer squad lost to defending champion La Mirada 5-1 in a Division IV hook up on Thursday.

The Burroughs boys’ soccer team was shut out by visiting Cajon 2-0 in a Division III wild-card contest on Wednesday.

CIF Playoffs Await BHS, JB Boys And Girls Hoops; JB Girls Water Polo

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By Rick Assad
Sports Editor

 

The nonleague and Pacific League portion of the schedules are over, so now it’s time for the postseason to begin this week for the Burroughs High boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, Burbank’s boys’ and girls’ hoop squads and the Burroughs girls’ water polo team.

The Lady Indians (21-7), who captured their fourth consecutive league crown and third straight undefeated league campaign, will host Palmdale (9-10) in a CIF Southern Section Division 1-A opening-round match on Thursday.

( Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

JB senior point guard Ross Lee III (#3), seen here guarding BHS’s Cameron Sweeten, will be involved in CIF opening-round road playoff games. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

Meanwhile, the Lady Bulldogs (19-9), who placed fourth in league and were selected as an at-large team, will face Garden Grove (20-6) on the road in a Division II-AA match on Wednesday.

If Burroughs, which knocked off Burbank 46-34 on Friday, prevails, it will play Arroyo Canyon (25-2) or Temecula Valley (16-8) on Saturday.

If Burbank wins, it will meet top-seeded Canyon Country (20-6) or Godinez (13-12) on Saturday.

On the boys’ side, Burroughs (19-7), which fell to city rival Burbank 61-60 on Friday, and finished third in the league, along with Burbank (18-10), which took fourth in league, will both be on the road for first-round games.

The Indians face Alhambra (16-10) on Wednesday in a Division I-A clash, while the Bulldogs take on Garden Grove (21-6) in a Division II-AA battle on the same day.

(Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs guard Abbey Ibarra shots over Burbank’s Celine Shamalian. Indians will be at home while the Bulldogs take to the road for CIF games. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

A triumph by the Indians will then have them take on Beaumont (23-3) or La Quinta (13-10) on Friday.

If the Bulldogs emerge victorious in their opening-round game, they will play fourth-seeded El Toro (20-7) or Godinez (16-11) on Friday.

The Burroughs’ girls’ water polo team (14-9), which took second in league, will be on the road to meet Bonita (20-9) on Thursday in a Division IV match.

The victor of that battle will face Mission Viejo or Camarillo in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Can’t Find Answers, Lose To Crescenta Valley, 18-8

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By Rick Assad
Sports Editor

 

Burroughs High Coach Jacob Cook had an inkling that Thursday’s Pacific League girls’ water polo championship match was going to be tough to win.

What the No. 2 seeded Indians faced was a team that has now claimed seven straight league titles after being routed by Crescenta Valley 18-8 at Burbank High.

The top-seeded Falcons (25-4 and 8-0 in league) were never threatened and were paced by six goals from freshman Alexandra Garas and five from senior Audrey Taylor.

Crescenta Valley was coming off a 23-6 blitz of Glendale while the Indians (14-9 and 6-2 in league) easily ripped through Arcadia.

The CIF Southern Section playoffs begin this week and the seeds will be announced on Sunday.

The Falcons led 5-0 after the first quarter when Garas, who had 15 goals in two tournament games, and Esma Dollaku each scoring two goals while Taylor added one.

Crescenta Valley’s lead expanded to 8-0 before sophomore setter Bianca Sanchez, who had three goals, found the back of the goal for the Indians that made it 8-1.

From this point, Burroughs outscored the Falcons 5-3 with sophomore driver Gwen Turla, who chimed in with a team-best four goals, scoring just before the half as the Indians trailed 11-6.

The Falcons scored five goals in the third quarter and forged a 16-6 advantage before the Indians scored two goals in the fourth quarter, including one from junior driver Dominique Silva.