Hot-shooting proves too much for Burroughs boys’ basketball versus Pasadena
PASADENA — With an opportunity to take the leadership role atop the Pacific League boys’ basketball standings, Burroughs High instead witnessed how difficult it is to defeat defending champion Pasadena at home.
The visiting Indians played catch-up all night with the Bulldogs, who pulled away in the third quarter en route to a 69-63 victory Friday evening.
With the win, a once tight Pacific League now has a clear leader as Pasadena improved to 14-7 overall and 8-1 in league, while Burroughs (16-5, 6-3) remains in a second-place tie with Crescenta Valley (6-3) and Muir (6-3).
Pasadena’s win also avenges the Bulldogs’ lone league defeat, a 70-66 win for the Indians on Jan. 8 in Burbank.
“Pasadena is a tough place and that’s why they’ve won league for so many years,” Burroughs Coach Adam Hochberg said. “In a good league against a good team, you have to play good basketball to win and we didn’t do that for enough stretches.”
Burroughs senior forward Angelo Solis led his squad with 16 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, while junior forward Tristen Hull added 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Pasadena, in part, helped nullify the Indians’ strength inside with some sharp-shooting that created a sizable lead.
The Bulldogs led, 35-28, at the break and held a 40-32 advantage midway through the third when Pasadena reserve Darius Brown II turned himself into the X-factor.
The sophomore guard buried back-to-back three-pointers and then assisted on a triple from Ben Burgoyne as Pasadena took a 13-point lead.
Burgoyne’s three-pointer was followed by an inside bucket from Pasadena’s Marc Howard Jr. with 2:12 remaining that capped an 11-4 run that gave the Bulldogs a 51-36 lead.
“Because we are athletic and run good stuff, a lot of teams play a 2-3 [zone defense] as a way to change things up and to make us confused or hesitate,” Pasadena Coach Tony Brooks said. “When you have shooters, it kind of solves all the ills.”
While Burroughs climbed within 53-43 on a jumper from Elijah Cain with under a minute left, the Bulldogs scored on a runner from Burgoyne to go up, 55-43, after three quarters.
Pasadena’s outside shooting was complemented by the scoring of slasher Bryce Hamilton and inside force Tyrek Adams. Hamilton led all players with 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Adams tallied 16 points.
Burroughs’ last and best surge came midway through the fourth quarter via a 9-3 spurt that culminated on an offensive putback from Hull with 1:27 left.
Pasadena, however, scored the next four points and didn’t allow the deficit to be trimmed to any less seven points until senior guard Steven Hubbell drained a 25-foot three-pointer at the buzzer.
Hubbell’s three-pointer was similar to a back-breaking 30-foot shot made by Hamilton right before the halftime buzzer that gave Pasadena a seven-point lead.
Just a little more than 30 seconds earlier, Burroughs had closed to within 30-28 on an offensive putback from Solis with 39 seconds left.
Yet, Adams hit a runner for Pasadena with three seconds left and the Bulldogs got possession back with a second remaining after an Indians’ turnover, one of 14 for the team. One second later, Pasadena entered the locker room up seven.
Ross Lee added 12 points and four assists for Burroughs.
“We need to take care of the ball more,” said Solis, who helped his team overcome an initial 10-2 first-quarter hole. “We had a lot of turnovers. If we would have taken care of that, we would have taken over this game. It’s that simple.”
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Andrew J. Campa, andrew.campa@latimes.com
Twitter: @campadresports
