Providence boys’ basketball opens Sutton tourney with rout of Pilibos
BURBANK — Playing in the El Monte Tournament to open the season and competing against some larger schools, the Providence High boys’ basketball team won just one of four games in the event.
However, the Pioneers were able to gain some valuable experience against some competitive schools, something they are hoping will pay off in the long run.
Fresh off that experience, Providence opened play Tuesday in its 27th annual Providence Paul Sutton Tip-Off Classic, where it took on Pilibos.
The Pioneers began to dominate the game in the second quarter and rolled to a 51-34 victory at home.
“Playing in that tournament really helped us a lot,” said Providence senior Jason Batungbacal, who led the Pioneers with 14 points, including 11 in the first half. “Going against that kind of competition is only going to help us and make us a better team. It really gets us prepared for tournaments like this.”
Providence (2-3) received 11 points from senior starter Brian Cabagnot and junior Matthew Meza came off the bench to chip in 10 points.
Neither team shot the ball well in the first quarter, as Providence converted just five of 13 shots from the field and Pilibos (0-1) made just three of 11. After the first quarter, the Pioneers held a 12-7 advantage.
“It’s our tournament that we’re hosting and it’s in front of the home crowd, so maybe it was a little bit of nerves for our guys in that first quarter,” Providence Coach Chris Madigan said. “And some of it might be our guys trying to be extra patient and maybe paying too much attention to what we’re trying to run and execute.
“I thought after that first quarter we were able to get away from that and that’s when we started playing a little better.”
Although the Pioneers’ shots began to fall in the second quarter, the Eagles continued to struggle. Pilibos was never able to get into an offensive rhythm over the course of the game, shooting just 28.9% on the night on 11-of-38 shooting.
The Pioneers found their shooting touch in the second quarter, converting seven of 12 shots from the field (58.3%). As a result, Providence outscored Pilibos, 18-9, in the second, beginning the stanza on a 15-4 run. Providence went into the half with a 30-16 lead.
“Some of what helped us in the second quarter was transitional,” Madigan said. “We got a couple of long rebounds and a couple of deflections and that kind of helped us with the momentum. We also were taking advantage of some opportunities with our shots and that was a good thing for us.”
It was a low scoring third quarter that saw the Pioneers outscore the Eagles, 10-7, and enjoy a 40-23 lead after three quarters.
Providence will return to tournament action with a pool play game at 8 p.m. Wednesday against Canoga Park Armenian General Benevolent Union.
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Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports