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Jim Riggio With Tulyah Gaines in the...

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Jim Riggio

With Tulyah Gaines in the lineup, the Burroughs High girls’

basketball would be hard pressed to defeat Rancho Santa Margarita

High, ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division IIA.

But Gaines, the team’s star player, sat out with flu Tuesday, and

Burroughs could not overcome the visiting Eagles’ depth, losing,

45-29, in a nonleague game at Burroughs.

“They’re good defensively,” Santa Margarita Coach Richard Schaaf

said of the Indians.

Schaaf said his team sensed Burroughs’ star wasn’t playing, and as

a result, didn’t play well.

“She’s very good defensively,” Schaaf said of Gaines. “They’re

good because [Burroghs Coach Doug Nicol’s] got a helluva team

defensively.”

The contest was a rematch of last year’s Division IIA quarterfinal

playoff game in which Santa Margarita rolled to a 74-57 victory at

home.

Burroughs (11-6), coming off of a fine performance in the Chino

Hills Ayala Tournament, fought hard to stay with the Eagles and only

trailed, 11-7, at the end of the first quarter.

The Indians -- ranked No. 7 in the Division IIA -- got within two

points to start the second quarter on a basket by Val Rico.

But the Eagles (11-3) flexed their muscles and showed their depth.

Six players scored in the first half for Santa Margarita, whose

three losses have come at the hands of San Clemente -- No. 1 in

Division IA -- Fullerton Troy -- No. I in Division IIAA and Fullerton

Rosary -- No. 3 in Division IIIA.

In the Ayala Tournament, Burroughs -- with a healthy Gaines --

lost to Brea Olinda, 41-35, a team that is ranked No. 1 in Division

IIA.

Burroughs went into the half down, 23-15, but could never make a

serious push to get back into the game.

The Indians got as close as, 24-18, on one of Fabi Zavala’s three

three-pointers.

While the inability of Gaines to play hurt the Indians, Burroughs

Coach Doug Nicol noted there was one good thing about not having his

star in the lineup. Nicol said Burroughs was the only Foothill League

team in action Tuesday night and he expected the rest of the league’s

opponents to scout the game.

Without Gaines, Nicol said Burroughs would have had to greatly

change its game plan.

The Indians open Foothill League play at 7 p.m. Friday at

Valencia. Burroughs finished third in league last season.

BOX SCORE

Santa Margarita 11 12

12 10 -- 45

Burroughs 7 8 6

8 -- 29

SANTA MARGARITA

Frazee 10, Pederson 9, Mai 8, Cooper 4 and 10 rebounds,

Hollison 3, Walker 6, Taylor 3, Powers 2.

* Three-pointers: Frazee 2, Walker 2, Mai, Taylor.

BURROUGHS

Zavala 13, Stephan 7, Rico 4, Galindo 2, Carranza 3.

* Three-pointers: Zavala 3, Carranza.

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