Tag Archives: Kayla Wrobel

Burroughs Girls Hoops Can’t Keep Pace With Westchester

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By Rick Assad

For 16 minutes, the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team kept in touch with Westchester.

The same couldn’t be said across the second half as the Comets pulled away from the Indians 59-48 in the opening round of the CIF State Southern California Regional Division III playoffs on Tuesday night at the Indians gym before a lively crowd.

Faith Boulanger accounted for a game-high 18 points and a game-best 14 rebounds against the Comets. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“The game is about turnovers. Too many turnovers. We can’t win when we have them,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said of the 26 miscues.

Oganyan said she tried to make a few adjustments in the second half.

“We just talked how we were down one [at the half] and we had turned the ball all over the place,” she said. “We just talked about trying to calm down and make better passes and trying to get into our offense. Defensively we were hanging in there. I thought we missed some shots at critical points, wide-open layups.”

Junior power forward/center Faith Boulanger had a solid outing, scoring a game-best 18 points with a game-high 14 rebounds for the Indians, who placed second in the Pacific League and also advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II-A semifinals.

“I’m proud of the way we improved from summer until now,” Oganyan said. “We made some big strides and we’re proud of that. For this group, I guess I’m not satisfied. We have room to improve. Hopefully in the offseason we have the same mindset. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but not satisfied.”

Sophie Hawkins, who scored three points, dribbling the ball against Westchester. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Boulanger, who fouled out with 4:50 remaining in the contest, scored nine points in the first half after drilling three from three-point range.

Junior power forward Kayla Wrobel added 13 points and collected nine caroms.

Wrobel’s bucket with 2:07 left in the first quarter gave the Indians, the No. 2 seeded team in this tourney, a 9-6 lead as No. 15 seeded Westchester, which owns a seven-game winning streak and will play Viewpoint in the second round on Thursday, asked for time out.

Burroughs (25-8) trailed 25-24 at the intermission, but the Comets, who led 10-9 after the first period, dropped in 17 points in the third quarter for a 42-34 lead as freshman shooting guard Ron’Yae Jackson (eight points) nailed a pair of three-pointers.

Another 17-point frame followed for Westchester (17-15), which claimed the City Section Division I title after trouncing Carson 67-38.

Faith Boulanger, who made three from three-point range, is about to take a trey versus Westchester. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

In that frame, freshman point guard Rylie Waugh accounted for eight points including six coming at the free-throw line.

“It has to be multiple people doing multiple things,” Westchester coach Dominic Grimes said of the overall effort. “I told them to keep attacking the bigs. I was hoping they’d get in foul trouble and they did.”

In that final period, the Comets, who played six of the top 15 girls’ teams in the state, canned nine of 10 free throws after making one of five in the opening half.

Waugh, who picked off a team-best 13 rebounds, paced the Comets with 16 points, including 12 in the second half.

Westchester senior center Ariana Grimes, who contributed five caroms and four steals, tossed in seven of her 13 points in the first half.

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

Sophomore point guard Savannah Prasad added 10 points, all of which came in the second quarter.

Prasad’s second three-pointer with five minutes left on the clock handed the  Comets a 20-14 edge.

The Indians connected on nine of 20 shots in the first half for 45 percent, but then dipped to 25 percent in the second half after making seven of 28.

The Comets converted 34.3 percent of their shots (22 of 64) on the evening, and made 42.3 percent (11 of 26) in the second half.

Junior shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo scored six points and snared eight rebounds for the Indians while sophomore shooting guard Noor Fahs tallied six points.

Senior shooting guard Sophie Hawkins tacked on a three-pointer for the Indians and freshman power forward Isabella Roderick added two points.

Valiant Effort Not Enough for Burroughs Girls Basketball

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If the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team played the first half of its CIF Southern Division 2A semifinal match against San Clemente the way it did in the second half, the Indians might be playing for a CIF title next weekend.
But the lack in consistency and 20 turnovers proved to be too much to overcome Saturday night as host San Clemente earned a 41-29 victory.

“We talked about it at halftime to just try to relax and execute and pretend we’re at practice,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “I think some were maybe rattled by how big the game was. We were just trying to relax and play like we know how to play.”
Burroughs (25-7) will not get a chance to play for a CIF title, but will get to move on to the state playoffs following next week’s CIF title contests.
The Indians never led in the contest, but turned a 15-points halftime deficit into a very close game.

Burroughs’ intensity forced a number of jump ball situations as the Indians were often first to get loose balls.
Burroughs went on a 8-0 run in the third quarter that was started by a Dyani Del Castillo free throw. Faith Boulanger followed up with a pair of free throws and Del Castillo hit a three-point shot with 2:17 left in the third quarter to start getting everyone on the Burroughs sideline excited as the San Clemente lead was down to 27-20. After a San Clemente turnover, a basket by Kayla Wrobel brought things to within five, as it was 27-22.

A basketball by sophomore guard Noor Fahs with 5:11 left to play made things interesting as Burroughs had once again cut San Clemente’s lead to just five at 34-29.
But that was the points Burroughs would see.

“We’re still a young team, so we have a lot of learning to do,” Boulanger said. “Once halftime came we realized we could do this, we just need to get calm and execute.”
Boulanger led her team with 11 points and had six rebounds. Del Castillo finished with nine points. Wrobel had six points and Fahs finished with six.
San Clemente (27-3) was led by Jessica Blaine, who had 14 points. The Tritons will play Bishop Amat of La Puente for the CIF title after Bishop Amat defeated Palos Verdes Peninsula 66-52 in the other semifinal.

 

Burroughs Girls Basketball Headed Back to CIF Semifinals

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Being able to play under pressure is something that separates the good teams from the great teams.
Wednesday night the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team stayed calm when things could have gotten out of hand.

The end result was a 41-39 victory over host Whittier Christian in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2A playoffs.
“We’ve been there before and I think this team has matured. We’ve come a long way from November,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “I’m so proud of the kids. It was basically up to them and they got it done.”

Burroughs (25-6) will now travel to play top seeded San Clemente Saturday in the semifinals. It is Burroughs first trip to the semifinals since 2016. San Clemente defeated Summit of Fontana 78-67 in another quarterfinal contest.
One key reason Burroughs advanced was due to strong shooting from the free-throw line. The Indians made 18 of 24 as a team.
Junior Sydney Martin came off the bench to hit seven of eight free throws, including all of her attempts during the crucial fourth quarter.

“I cancelled it out and just focused on my form. I realized that it was pretty much all on me there and I wanted to deliver for my team,” Martin said.  “I just didn’t let my emotions get the best of me.”

The Indians never trailed in the contest. While they were never in complete control, Burroughs appeared to be quite comfortable until the final moments.

Faith Boulanger warming up for Burroughs quarterfinal contest with Whittier Christian.

Whittier Christian’s Joleen Corona hit a three pointer with 18 seconds left to cut Burroughs’ lead to 39-38.
The home side then was able to regain possession after having the arrow in their favor on a jump ball situation.
But Whittier Christian missed a pair of free throws with six seconds left. Martin then came away with a rebound and was immediately fouled. She then stepped up and hit two big free throws to give Burroughs a three-point cushion.
Whittier Christian scored a free throw with less than a second left on the clock.

Burroughs was impressive in keeping things together in the second quarter in which star forward Faith Boulanger missed due to foul trouble.
She still led Burroughs with 14 points. Kayla Wrobel had a strong effort, particularly in the second quarter when she scored six of her 10 points.
Dyani Del Castillo finished with four points. Noor Fahs and Sophie Hawkins each had three points.

 

 

Oganyan Races Back to Lead Burroughs to Victory

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Vicky Oganyan has coached the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team for 16 years and nearly 500 games.

Saturday evening Oganyan was probably one of her more tense victories, even though it had nothing to do with the scoreboard.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

After helping Glendale Community College to victory as a player, she raced back to Burbank from Lancaster just before tip-off as her Indians earned a 67-50 CIF Southern Section Division 2A second-round victory.

“I’m not tired yet, but I’m sure I’ll be tired in a couple of hours,” said Oganyan, who estimated she left Antelope Valley College around 6:35 p.m. to make it back to Burbank for the 7:30 start of the Burroughs game. “Right now I’m just excited.”

Burroughs will now travel to Whittier Christian High Wednesday in a CIF quarterfinal contest.

Burroughs (24-6) jumped out to an early 16-1 lead against Arroyo Valley. While the Indians were unable to dominate throughout the contest, they clearly had the upper hand and were never in serious trouble.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The closest Arroyo Valley (24-6) would get was 33-25 with 31.4 seconds left in the first half following a free throw by Celina Estrada.

Arroyo Valley did have an outstanding effort from senior guard Nylah Prince, who had a game-high 38 points.

Although Burroughs had yet to see Arroyo Valley, a Pacific League opponent helped prepare for the game.

“This team is very similar to Pasadena in terms of their guards. Their post players weren’t as big and active as the Pasadena post, but definitely having to deal with guarding the Pasadena guards helped us in this game,” she said.

Center Kayla Wrobel finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, even though she sat for a good portion of the first half after picking up her second foul.

Burroughs did struggle in the second quarter without Wrobel.

“We wanted to make sure we kept everyone in front of us,” Oganyan said. “We knew Kayla was going to be coming back from foul trouble, so that was going to help us out with rebounding.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs had another fine effort from junior Faith Boulanger, who finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four blocked shots.

“Every game and every matchup is different. Right now we’re playing really good basketball,” Oganyan said. “The key is to keep working defensively and making it hard for the other team to score. We know it is going to be tough in the next round, but we’re excited about the challenge.”

Junior Dyani Del Castillo had 12 points for the Indians.

Sophomore guard Noor Fahs added 11 points.
Sydney Martin had five points for Burroughs.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Post 59-26 Win Against Visiting Burbank

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By Rick Assad

It was the final Pacific League game on the calendar for host Burroughs High and longtime rival Burbank on Thursday night.

Like the first time these two girls’ basketball programs met, the Indians were too deep and talented and claimed a 59-26 decision behind a swarming full-court press and junior center/power forward Faith Boulanger’s game-best 26 points.

Ivana Razov dribbling the ball against Erika Montoya. The Indians won 59-26 in the Pacific League finale. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians finished second in league behind Pasadena and will now await this weekend’s CIF Southern Section playoff pairings.

“We just want play hard. Our key has been our defensive aggressiveness,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “We’re definitely playing better basketball right now and our team has improved and I’ve gotta be proud of that. That’s the goal to see improvement in the team and carry that into the playoffs.”

Oganyan then added: “Moving the ball. Getting good shots. Getting the right people with the ball,” she noted of the offense. “Just making open shots. Finding each other and playing together as a team. When we play together as a team, usually we get good shots.”

Boulanger, who sank two of her five three-pointers in the first quarter, began by scoring 13 points in the first period as Burroughs (22-6 and 12-2 in league) took a 24-5 lead.

The press by Burroughs was relentless as it forced numerous Burbank turnovers. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Boulanger, who had seven steals, had help in junior power forward Kayla Wrobel, who tallied seven of her 19 points in the initial frame.

Boulanger’s first three-pointer came with 1:22 left and handed the Indians (22 of 59 for 37.2 percent) a 20-5 advantage.

The points kept coming in the second quarter for the Indians as Boulanger, who hit a three-pointer and had seven points along with Wrobel, who grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, tossed in eight points.

Senior shooting guard Bri Castro had two three-pointers and all of her points at halftime for the Bulldogs (10-18 and 3-11 in league), who trailed 35-11 and will miss the postseason after finishing tied for sixth in the league.

Boulanger came out and nailed a pair of three-pointers in the third period while Wrobel canned two baskets as the Indians extended their advantage to 51-13 heading into the fourth quarter.

Rachel Little is being guarded by Christina Ohanians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

With such a commanding lead, Oganyan rested her starters in the fourth quarter.

Oganyan began taking out her starters late in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs (eight of 31 for 25.8 percent) took advantage and outscored the hosts 13-8 in the fourth quarter as sophomore point guard Alle Tarvirdi scored six of her team-high nine points.

“The season comes to an end, but we continue to build,” first-year Burbank coach Jett Del Mundo said. “This senior class helped define how we grow. Now we have seven veterans ready to keep moving forward. We will take a moment to honor all of the accomplishments of the 2020 season. But look to the next chapter in our young program.”

Sophomore shooting guard Noor Fahs contributed two points, but also added eight caroms and five steals for the Indians.

Sophomore shooting guard Sarai Waddell canned a trey for Burroughs, while junior shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo, junior center Sydney Martin, junior point guard Lauren Lucas and freshman point guard Rachel Little, all scored two points and sophomore point guard Stephanie Wilson added one point.

Burbank sophomore guard Christina Ohanians finished with three points. Senior power forward Adriana Cabrera, sophomore small forward Emily Megerdichian, sophomore center Tabitha Cruz and freshman power forward Karen Casillas, all contributed two points for the Bulldogs.

Burroughs Girls Basketball Takes Out Visiting Glendale

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By Rick Assad

Defense was very much a priority for the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team which hosted Glendale on Tuesday night in a Pacific League match.

For 32 tough and hard-fought minutes, neither team budged an inch defensively, but down the stretch the Indians were able to make three straight baskets including a three-pointer from junior shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo with 2:20 left for a four-point advantage and it helped propelled Burroughs to a 52-43 victory.

Burroughs shooting guard Noor Fahs tries to get around a Glendale defender. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I was actually very nervous about this game because of the outcome of the last game,” said Del Castillo, who finished with a game-high 18 points and chipped in with five rebounds and four steals and had 11 points at the half. “We were all very prepared for this game.”

The nine-point win may have been a payback for a 47-46 loss on December 10 at the Nitro gym.

“Glendale’s big, they’re aggressive, they play hard,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game.”

Oganyan, who played for Glendale High, then added: “Defensively we just made some adjustments from the first time that we played them to try to minimize how many catches they had in the post,” she noted. “The first time we played them they had too many points in the paint. I thought this time we minimized it. I thought the defensive pressure really helped.”

The Indians (17-5 and 8-1 in league) held a 37-32 lead heading into the fourth quarter as four players scored.

Now that’s defensive pressure by Kayla Wrobel and Noor Fahs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

After Burroughs missed its first shot in the fourth period, junior forward/center Faith Boulanger (10 points and four steals) scored.

But then six consecutive misses followed until Del Castillo’s three-pointer made it 46-42.

Junior forward Kayla Wrobel (six points) then added a basket and sophomore forward Noor Fahs (five points with six steals) contributed a hoop.

The Indians shot 35.4 percent from the floor on 17 of 48 shot attempts and made 12 of 21 from the free-throw line for 57.1 percent.

The Nitros (17-5 and 6-3 in league) seized a 13-11 advantage in the opening period behind five points from senior guard Mary Markaryan (eight points).

Del Castillo tallied five points in the first frame to pace Burroughs, which was outrebounded by Glendale, 34-28.

Faith Boulanger looks to pass the basketball to Kayla Wrobel. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians followed that with a 15-point second quarter and led 26-22 at the intermission as Del Castillo, who had five treys in the game, knocked in a pair of three-pointers, including one that made it 24-18 with 1:35 showing.

Junior power forward Kayla Wrobel tossed in three of her six points in the second period and picked off a team-best seven boards with four steals.

Wrobel’s hoop with 3:10 left in the second period handed the Indians a 21-18 edge.

Burroughs was limited to 11 points in the third quarter as Boulanger, junior center Sydney Martin (seven points) and Del Castillo all scored three points.

Boulanger’s basket and successful free throw extended the Indians’ cushion to 34-24 with 4:41 left in the third period.

Burroughs then outscored Glendale 15-11 in the fourth quarter after making four of 11 from the floor and six of 11 from the charity line.

Junior center Areco Orujyan scored 10 of her team-best 13 points in the fourth period for the Nitros, who made three of 10 from the field and five of nine at the free-throw line.

On the night, Glendale converted 13 of 37 for 35.1 percent and 12 of 19 at the free-throw line for 63.1 percent.

Senior guard Sophie Hawkins scored six points that included a three-pointer in the first quarter for the Indians.

Burroughs Girls Basketball Pulls Away From Host Burbank

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By Rick Assad

Behind an effective 2-3 zone press by the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team, host Burbank turned the ball over in bunches which opened the path for the Indians to claim a 52-35 Pacific League win on Friday.

With the help of turnovers, Burroughs marched ahead 26-5 in the first quarter and were in front 40-15 at halftime as junior shooting guard Dyani Del Castillo tallied all of her 13 points and junior power forward Kayla Wrobel added 10 of her 13 points.

Wrobel’s basket with 4:36 remaining in the initial frame made it 11-0 and the Indians were on their way.

Faith Boulanger scored eight points and had seven steals for the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I think that just playing solid defense is what we focus on because that’s how we contribute to our wins,” Del Castillo said.

Always a perfectionist, Del Castillo was happy with the victory, but wanted to do even more.

“I think I could have done more to help out my team,” she said after hitting three from three-point range.

On the night, the Indians (14-5 and 5-1 in league) shot 36.3 percent from the floor (20 of 55) and limited the Bulldogs (8-10 and 2-4 in league) to 12 of 26 for 46.1 percent.

“Recently we’re trying to pressure up more,” said Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan of the press. “The last three or four games it’s worked well for us. I think the girls are getting the hang of it. They’re getting better at it. It makes us a better team.”

Bri Castro is trying to dribble against a swarming Burroughs defense. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs, which is the CIF Southern Section’s No. 9 ranked team in Division II-A, outrebounded Burbank 33-23 with sophomore shooting guard Noor Fahs grabbing a game-best seven rebounds along with six steals, four assists and scoring five points.

“That’s when we’re really good is when we have multiple players and we don’t just rely on one player,” Oganyan said of her offense.

On many occasions, the Bulldogs tried to get the ball inside or even try crosscourt passes, but too many defenders were there and a turnover would result.

“After that we settled down and realized that we have to play one possession at a time,” Burbank coach Jett Del Mundo said. “They’re trying to win or lose the game on one possession.”

Sophie Hawkins is being guarded by Erika Montoya. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Del Mundo spoke about the team trying to do too much.

“We’re not making passes. We have to make the simple pass,” he said of the litany of mistakes. “We don’t have to make the terrific pass. We got going a little bit in the second half.”

Wrobel’s nine points led the Indians in the first quarter while Del Castillo tallied eight.

Junior power forward/center Faith Boulanger (seven steals), who many times brought the ball up the floor, accounted for four of her eight points in the opening period as the Indians converted 10 of 17 from the field for 58.8 percent.

Burroughs junior power forward Sydney Martin scored four of her six points in the second period and Del Castillo tacked on five points in the frame.

Sydney Martin is ready to take a shot against Tabitha Cruz. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Senior shooting guard Sophie Hawkins added seven points and tossed in a three-pointer in the same period.

Both squads scored eight points in the third quarter while Burbank outscored Burroughs 12-4 in the fourth period.

Burbank had only 10 attempts from the field in the opening half and made six.

The Bulldogs converted two of two shots from the floor in the first period and four of eight in the second.

Senior power forward Khyla Lipscomb and sophomore point guard Christina Ohanians both poured in six points to lead Burbank.

Sophomore point guard Alle Tarvirdi tacked on five points while sophomore center Tabitha Cruz sprinkled in four points.

Senior shooting guard Bri Castro, junior point guard Erika Montoya, sophomore shooting guard Emily Megerdichian and freshman power forward Karen Casillas, all added three points and senior center Adelina Bandarian had two points.

Burroughs Relies on Faith in Win

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

One can’t discuss religion in a public school.
But at Burroughs High, they can talk about Faith.
That is Faith Boulanger. The junior all-everything star carried her team to important Pacific League basketball victory Friday as the Indians outlasted Pasadena 48-46.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Boulanger finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and four blocks in the victory.
Boulanger, who stands 6-foot-1, is primarily a forward.
But she showed her versatility against Pasadena, often bringing the ball up the court when needed. She also hit four 3-pointers.

Burroughs desperately needed to win against Pasadena if it hoped to remain in the running for the league title.
“I’ve been getting used to it throughout the year,” Boulanger said of playing point guard. “This is a big win. It ties us up for the first place. The whole entire time they were in our face. We needed to keep our intensity throughout the entire game.”
Burroughs (11-5 overall, 3-1 in the league) got out to a strong start led by Boulanger, who hit two of her 3-pointers late in the first quarter to help the Indians build their confidence level.
Burroughs went up 26-16 at halftime before Pasadena began to a full-court press to start the third quarter.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

It worked because the Bulldogs made things difficult for Burroughs and quickly came back. Pasadena (5-5, 3-1) actually took a 27-26 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter as Sydney Brumfield hit a three-pointer. Brumfield led Pasadena with 19 points.

Although Burroughs led most of the way, Pasadena kept things tight and actually led 46-45 as Kamesia Piggee took advantage of a turnover and put the ball in the basket.
But Boulanger later tied things on a free throw and scored what turned out to be the winning basket with 1:23 left, by being the recipient of a back-door play that result in the Indians getting a go-ahead basket.
“Our kids know what it is like in the Pacific League. Every game is going to be close and intense and we have to be ready to play,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “She (Boulanger) just has a different level of confidence. She’s good at reading plays. She’s got a lot of experience and she’s played in a lot of tough games.”

Burroughs got 11 points and seven rebounds from Kayla Wrobel. Dyani Del Castillo had five points. Sydney Martin and Sophie Hawkins each had three points and Noor Fahs had two.

Burroughs Girls Hoops Waltz Past Notre Dame Academy, 51-30

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By Rick Assad

Shots were launched from deep and short and in between by the Burroughs High girls’ basketball team.

There was enough success despite shooting 26.3 percent from the field and it led to a 51-30 triumph by the Indians over Notre Dame Academy in a second-round match of the West Coast Holiday Festival Tournament Silver Division on Friday night at the Indians gym.

Senior guard Sophie Hawkins scored four points and played tenacious defense. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs hoisted up 76 shots and nailed 20 and made 14 of 43 for 32.5 percent in the opening half.

On the plus side, the Indians collected 58 rebounds compared to 25 for the Royal Gryphons.

“We moved the ball well and we looked for each other and we got a lot of open shots,” Burroughs coach Vicky Oganyan said. “We’re a good rebounding team.”

Burroughs (9-4) will play Santa Monica tonight at 8:30 p.m. in a semifinal game.

The offense was spearheaded by junior point guard Dyani Del Castillo, who poured in a game-best 13 points.

Junior power forward Kayla Wrobel added 12 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds. Wrobel scored all of her points in the first half.

Junior center/power forward Faith Boulanger contributed nine points and nabbed seven caroms.

Defense and rebounding were on display by the Indians in a 51-30 win over Notre Dame Academy. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians outscored Notre Dame Academy, which made four of 13 for 30.7 percent at the intermission, in every quarter except the fourth.

Burroughs quickly seized command and barreled ahead 16-6 heading to the second quarter behind 10 points from Wrobel, who scored nine points in an opening-round 68-40 victory against Santa Paula on Thursday.

Sophomore shooting guard Noor Fahs scored four of her six points in the first period when the Indians made eight of 27 from the floor.

In the second frame, Burroughs didn’t take nearly as many shots from the field, just 16 and hammered in six and pulled in front 33-12.

Del Castillo, who scored a game-high 10 points versus Santa Paula, was the offensive catalyst in the second period scoring six points, while drilling a pair of three-pointers.

Faith Boulanger, shown dribbling the ball up the court, scored nine points and was a defensive presence. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Boulanger dropped in two three-pointers for six points in the third quarter and had a game-best 16 points against Santa Paula.

Del Castillo also had a trey in the third quarter when the Indians made four of 18 from the field.

Freshman shooting guard Ivana Razov drilled a three-pointer in the third frame which accounted for her only points, but handed out a game-best five assists.

The Regal Gryphons shot 30.3 percent from the floor on 10 of 33 for the night and outscored the Indians 7-6 in the fourth frame as Kaylin Chan nailed her third three-pointer of the evening and finished with a team-best nine points.

Brooklyn Jackson also scored a three-pointer in the final frame and finished with eight points for Notre Dame Academy.

Burroughs converted five of 10 from the free-throw line and Notre Dame Academy was successful on four of nine.

Senior point guard Sophie Hawkins dropped in four points for the Indians, sophomore point guard Stephanie Wilson added two points and junior point guard Lauren Lucas also tallied two points.

Junior center Sydney Martin didn’t score a point in Friday’s contest, but tossed in eight points during Thursday’s game.

 

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.