Fine debut for Providence girls’ basketball, Zozulenko
BURBANK — It was an impressive way to open the season for the Providence High girls’ basketball team.
It was also an impressive debut for freshman Melissa Zozulenko, who played her first game in Pioneers’ green and white.
The first-year player was a force on both sides of the ball, scoring 18 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and collecting five steals to lead Providence to a 58-16 victory against Canoga Park Armenian General Benevolent Union in a pool play contest of the Pioneers’ 29th annual Paul Sutton Tip-Off Classic on Wednesday afternoon.
Zozulenko led a contingent that forced 27 turnovers and shut out the Titans (0-1) in the opening quarter.
“I really wasn’t nervous for this game,” Zozulenko said. “I was just concentrating on what I needed to do and I just played. I just really wanted to execute and help move the ball around.
“Even though I’m a freshman, I am already comfortable playing with this group and once I got in as a freshman they really welcomed me.”
While the unrelenting Providence defense forced AGBU into taking its share of low-percentage shots, shooting woes didn’t help the Titans, as they finished the game converting just five of 41 shots (12.2%) from the field.
“It was a great way for us to start and it was just a great defensive effort,” Providence coach Andrew Bencze said. “I was also very pleased with the attitude and effort, and those are two important things. Everybody played hard and you’ve got to love that.
“They really listened to the things we talked to them about before the game about defense. We just do the little things defensively that makes a great defense. I think AGBU was just frustrated and they just couldn’t handle the ball against our pressure.”
The Pioneers also received 14 points and five rebounds from Sarah Cox, 10 points and three steals from Kayla Ravancho and eight rebounds, six assists and five points from Francesca Maravilla.
Providence opened the game with a huge effort in the first quarter. The Pioneers outscored the Titans, 16-0, as AGBU missed all of its seven shots from the field and committed 11 turnovers.
The Titans finally broke through for their first points with 7:09 left in the second quarter on a basket by Jacqueline Dekirmendjian to make it 16-2.
The Pioneers kept up the pressure, forcing seven turnovers in the second quarter to go into the half with a 38-9 lead.
Zozulenko had 12 points in the opening half.
“She has just played a lot of basketball,” Bencze said of the freshman. “She is athletic and she’s played a lot of games, so she knows what she’s doing on the court.
“To be a freshman on our team and to be starting says a lot about her talent.”
AGBU converted just one of its 11 field-goal attempts in the third quarter and Providence went into the final break with a 47-11 advantage.
Twitter: @jefftsports
