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Burbank Coach Goosen Is Put on Administrative Leave

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From Staff Reports

Burbank boys’ basketball Coach David Goosen has been put on administrative leave while Burbank Unified School District officials investigate incidents that occurred during a holiday tournament in Las Vegas.

Goosen will continue to teach during the investigation, said Alexis Sheehy, the district’s assistant superintendent for instructional services. Assistant Bob Kinzel is coaching in Goosen’s absence.

Sheehy declined to provide details about the investigation. Goosen said district officials are trying to determine why he did not sit out a game, per Southern Section policy, after his ejection from a previous game and why he allowed an 18-year-old player to drive a school van part of the way home from Las Vegas.

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Goosen said he was not aware of the rule. “It was an honest mistake,” he said.

Goosen said after he became ill he allowed a player to drive one of the school’s two vans. An assistant coach was already driving the second van.

Goosen is scheduled to meet with district officials this morning.

Burbank is still reeling from the departure of starting point guard Kevin Green, who was determined by school officials to have exhausted his athletic eligibility before this season. The Bulldogs forfeited the five games in which Green played and are 2-12.

Green, who was averaging 18 points, left the school in mid-December after failing to achieve minimum grade-point average requirements, Goosen said.

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-- Ben Bolch

Omar Wilkes connected on a 25-foot jumper as the buzzer sounded, helping No. 10 Los Angeles Loyola overcome an eight-point deficit in the final 16 seconds in a 93-92 Mission League victory at West Hills Chaminade.

Chaminade (9-8, 1-2), had a two-point lead and the ball out of bounds with 2.8 seconds left. Gerred Link couldn’t find an open teammate, so he passed the ball to Loyola’s Chris Rucker in an attempt to run out the clock. Rucker passed to Davis Cantor, who found Wilkes at the top of the circle.

Dion Cook scored 30 for Chaminade, including five three-pointers, and Marcus Everett added 27.

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Rucker had 26 points for Loyola (13-3, 3-0) and Vince Oliver added 20. Wilkes finished with 19 points.

Chaminade led, 90-82, when Adam Bonifer hit a three-pointer for Loyola with 16 seconds left. Justin Thomas stole the inbound pass, scored and completed a three-point play after he was fouled.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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