Sweep secured by Glendale High boys’ basketball over Hoover
GLENDALE — There would be no denying that Glendale High would paint the town red in Friday’s latest chapter of the city rivalry with crosstown Hoover.
The boys’ basketball team wouldn’t allow it any other way.
Glendale utilized a huge run in the first half to race by the visiting Tornadoes for a 79-44 victory that completed a 4-0 sweep for Nitros varsity teams versus Hoover on Friday.
Boys’ basketball entered the contest after wins from boys’ soccer (2-0), girls’ soccer (6-0) and girls’ basketball (51-22) and continued the fun.
“We just wanted to build [off of Tuesday’s 57-54 win at Arcadia] and we respect every opponent we face and we knew that there’s a lot of pride in this rivalry and that Hoover would come out with a lot of energy,” Glendale coach Ib Belou said. “For us, we just care about improving and tonight all our focus was on Hoover.”
With the win, Glendale concluded the first half of Pacific League play with a 15-5 record and 3-4 mark in league, which tied the Nitros for fourth place in league. Hoover dropped to 4-16, 0-7.
Eli Degrate led Glendale with 27 points, seven rebounds and five steals, while Johnny Mansuryan hit five three-pointers in scoring 15 points and Urim Moussa Khani added eight points and 12 rebounds for the Nitros.
Short-handed Hoover was led by junior guard Davit Pirijanyan, who scored a game-high 30 points. Unfortunately for the Tornadoes, who were missing two valuable injured players in Caleb Davis and Angel Mino, no one else tallied more than four points.
A lay-up from Pirijanyan with 1:29 left in the first quarter brought the Tornadoes within 16-8 after Glendale initially scored 12 of the game’s first 14 points.
Hoover went more than three minutes before scoring another point – courtesy of a free throw from Pirijanyan – and didn’t convert another field goal until the four-minute mark in the second quarter.
During the Tornadoes’ drought, Glendale went to work.
The Nitros closed out the first quarter with a 35-foot three-pointer from Degrate off a steal and assist from Larrenz Carino to cap an 8-0 spurt and go ahead, 24-8, after one quarter.
Glendale extended its run to 19-3 off two free throws from Khani to take a 35-11 advantage with 4:34 remaining.
Finally a three-pointer from Hoover’s Karo Darmandzhyan broke the spell with 4:20 left in the second quarter.
Even though the Tornadoes scored, they never really kept up as Glendale took a 46-20 lead into the half.
Glendale continued to build its advantage, going ahead, 57-36, after three quarters while hitting the 40-point running clock mark on a three-pointer from Mansuryan late in the fourth.
“When you’re down two of your best players, it limits what you can do, plus it kind of lets opponents know what you’re going to do,” Hoover coach Jack Van Patten said. “I was hoping a good effort and some luck might get us the win tonight and that didn’t happen.”
