Burbank’s Downum Hot Over Cold Spells

Funny thing about the Burbank High basketball team. It can go cold for as long as 24 minutes at a time, as it did Tuesday after a piping-hot spell produced a 10-point lead.

But second-year Bulldog Coach John Downum is not laughing.

“What you saw tonight,” Downum said with a frown, “is what our season has been like.”

The Bulldogs are 1-8 after losing to Fairfax, 59-43, in the first round of the Chaminade tournament at Chaminade High.

“In every game,” Downum said, “in every game we look good at times.”

Burbank looked sensational in the first quarter. Senior guard Kahyeed Murray poured in 7 points and senior forward Edmundo Zepeda connected on 2 long-distance jump shots--one from 3-point range--as the Bulldogs surprised Fairfax by taking a 22-12 lead.

“But the thing that baffles me is how we can put together spurts of scoring and all-around playing, and then. . . .”

And then the Bulldogs scored only 6 points in the second quarter and 3 in the third as Fairfax built a 9-point lead and held on to win.

Forward Esteban Johnson scored a game-high 18 points, including 9 in the fourth quarter, and Norman Francis came off the bench to add 14 for Fairfax (5-4).

Downum, who suffered through the worst defeat in Burbank history--a 59-14 loss to Crescenta Valley 3 weeks ago--conducted a 10-minute closed-door meeting after the game.

“They had their heads down,” Downum said. “If this was our first league game, I’d be all over them.”

Murray finished with 9 points to lead Burbank. Zepeda had 8.

In other first round games:

Granada Hills 71, Chaminade 55--Center Joey Rosas scored 8 of his 23 points from close range in the fourth quarter to lead the Highlanders.

Pete Miller led Chaminade (5-4) with 16 points. Colin Havert added 14.

Bishop O’Dowd 51, Chatsworth 48--Chatsworth’s Rick Garrick scored a game-high 21 points but missed a shot that would have tied the score with 5 seconds left.

Cleveland McKinney scored 13 points to lead Bishop O’Dowd (6-2).

Simi Valley 64, Crossroads 61--Jeff Marciano scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Pioneers back from a 12-point deficit in the final quarter at Calabasas.

Marciano made 3 of 5 from the field--including a 3-point shot--and hit 6 consecutive free throws as Simi Valley outscored the Roadrunners, 32-17, in the period.