Burbank — Burroughs High’s girls’ basketball team’s quest to win a fifth straight Pacific League championship will begin Tuesday.
For the past few weeks, the Indians have gone coast to coast to help themselves prepare for the upcoming task. With plenty of depth and experience, the Indians have begun to click.
The last stop before the Pacific League tips off has been the West Coast Holiday Festival.
On Thursday in tournament play, Burroughs’ Marin Grote finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Indians to a 49-23 blowout win against West Adams in a consolation contest at Burroughs High.
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Burroughs’ Marin Grote grabs a rebound over West Adams’ Crystal Yip in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Jillian Kukawski looks inside to pass with West Adams’ Jennifer Cruz defending in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Angelia Davtyan puts pressure on West Adams’ Wendy Vargas forcing a traveling turnover in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Marin Grote receives a pass in the paint to turn and shoot over West Adams’ Andrea Membreno and Wendy Vargas in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ A’sia Morales brings the ball up court and makes a pass against West Adams in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Marin Grote battles for the ball against West Adams in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ A’sia Morales puts pressure on West Adams’ Jennifer Cruz in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Marin Grote shoots against West Adams to score in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Caitlyn Pentland battles for a loose ball against West Adams’ Wendy Vargas in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Nicole Rumfola shoots with West Adams’ Crystal Yip and Wendy Vargas defending in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Emily Gutierrez starts to drive to the basket against West Adams’ Veronica Montiel in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Marin Grote shoots over the West Adams defense in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Jillian Kukawski looks to pass with West Adams’ Michelle Paul defending in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Nicole Rumfola shoots against West Adams in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burroughs’ Nicole Rumfola drives to shoot with West Adams’ Crystal Yip reaching in defending in the West Coast Holiday Festival girls’ basketball tournament Burroughs High School on Thursday, December 29, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
“We’ve been playing in these tournaments and finding out a lot about ourselves,” said Grote, who had 12 first-half points. “We had some people out with injuries , so you see who can step up and help out.
“It’s encouraging to see what everybody can do. We know it’s going to be hard in league, but we’ll give it our best shot. We just want to finish strong heading into league.”
Burroughs (8-6) got plenty of contributions against West Adams (5-6).
The Indians, who advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division I-A semifinals last season, got 11 points and four steals from Jillian Kukawski, six points and nine rebounds from Caitlyn Pentland and four points and six rebounds from Breana Bauer.
West Adams was led by Jennifer Cruz, who finished with a game-high 20 points. Cruz had all nine of West Adams’ first-half points.
“We’re trying to play better and build some momentum going into league,” said Burroughs Coach Vicky Oganyan, who has guided the Indians to five league titles since the start of the 2010-11 season. “We played in a tournament in Orlando and then come back here and we faced teams that play styles that we might see in league.
“It’s a chance for players to step up and help the team get stronger. We just want to make sure we are going in the right direction. We still have some things that we need to work on, but we are getting there.”
Burroughs begins league play at 5 p.m. Tuesday against visiting Pasadena.
Kukawski gave the Indians a 10-2 lead after a jump shot with 53.7 seconds left in the first quarter.
Grote made a short shot to extend the lead to 19-9 with 1:40 remaining in the second quarter. Grote closed out the first half with an offensive rebound and basket to make it 23-9.
Burroughs’ Jocelyn Rieken had all six of her points in the third quarter. Burroughs held a 39-17 lead through the third stanza.
“We have a lot of people who can do different things,” Grote said. “They can all show that we can continue to play at a high level.”
