First published in the Jan. 1 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
John Burroughs High School’s varsity girls’ basketball team extended its season-best win streak to five games with a 57-33 rout over Santa Paula in the West Coast Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.
Junior Izzy Roderick registered a double-double with 22 points (10 for 12 from the field) and 12 rebounds, both team highs, while adding four steals and three blocks. Sophomore Karly Geris recorded six points and five steals, while junior Rachel Little added six points and three steals. Freshmen Mariam Fahs and Skylar Cafferty each scored five points while sophomores Ashley Martin and Natalie Sanchez had four points apiece. Junior Kylie Indefenzo tallied three points and four rebounds while senior Haley Dowthwaite scored two free throws.
The Bears (12-3 overall record, 3-1 in league) won their tournament opener against Los Angeles Yeshiva, 47-30, on Monday as Indefenzo registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Geris added 10 points while junior Ivana Razov did a little bit of everything, recording nine points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Martin and Sanchez each had four rebounds and added seven and six points, respectively. Freshman Mariam Fahs scored four points and Little had one point.
Prior to the tournament, the Bears earned a 37-29 victory over visiting Simi Valley on Dec. 21, as Roderick tallied 14 points and 14 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Sanchez added four points and also recorded a season-high 11 rebounds, while Razov had two points and seven rebounds. Cafferty and Geris added six and five points, respectively, Fahs scored four points and Martin tallied two points.
BURBANK
The Bulldogs competed in the La Cañada New Year’s Ball Tournament, narrowly beating Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 56-54, in the second round on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs (8-6 overall, 3-1 in league) handed the previously unbeaten Knights (14-1 overall) their first loss of the season. Tabitha Cruz led Burbank with 20 points while Karen Casillas added 13 points. Christina Ohanians and Emily Megerdichian each recorded nine points.
In their previous game, the Bulldogs were edged by La Cañada, 49-48, losing when the host Spartans sank a free throw with half a second to play in the final quarter. Casillas scored a team-high 15 points for Burbank, Cruz had 11 points and Ohanians added 10 points. Megerdichian recorded six points on two 3-pointers, Heghine Grigoryan scored once behind the arch, Nikaela Damasen had two points and Rheanna O’ Campo tallied one point.
