Pioneers nail down crown

BOYS’ BASKETBBALL

Providence 69, Viewpoint 63: The Pioneers won on the road Tuesday to clinch their first Liberty League championship in 13 years.

The Pioneers (22-4, 9-0 in league) — ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division V-A — will get a chance to end the league season undefeated with a game Thursday at Buckley.

“We know we’ve already won the league championship, but it’s very important for us to finish the league undefeated,” Providence first-year Coach Ernest Basketville said.

It was a fourth quarter in which the Pioneers outscored Viewpoint, 24-16, that enabled them to pull out the win. Providence trailed by two points with two minutes left in the game before going on an 8-0 run.

Marcus LoVett Jr. paced the Pioneers with 29 points to go along with seven rebounds. But Baskerville said he was impressed with a 16-point effort put in by Jonathan Ly.

“They were double-teaming Marcus, so Jonathan came through and hit his shots,” Baskerville said. “That was big for us.”

Burroughs 68, Glendale 38: Ezekiel Zuniga and Jorge Flores-Pere collected 17 points each Tuesday for the visiting Indians (2-11 in league) in a Pacific League contest.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Burroughs 37, Glendale 35: The Indians kept their playoff hopes alive with a Pacific League win Tuesday on the road.

Burroughs (11-15, 6-7) is in a three-way tie for the fourth and final automatic postseason spot with Crescenta Valley and Pasadena, which are both 6-7 in league as well.

Aysia Shellmire paced Burroughs with 12 points. Delaney Nicol and Sydney Ortega added eight points each and Davina Del Castillo had 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists.

Providence 53, Viewpoint 26: The Pioneers remained undefeated in the Liberty League with a win on the road Tuesday and can finish up the season with a perfect league mark with a win Thursday against Buckley.

Providence (21-4, 9-0) — No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division V-AA — outscored the Patriots, 27-12, in the second half.

Bea Benedicto paced the Pioneers with 16 points and nine rebounds. Teammate Gian Mari Llaguno added 12 points, Janel Adraneda had 10 rebounds and Katia Dabbaghin had nine rebounds and nine steals.

St. Bernard 71, Bellarmine-Jefferson 58: Despite getting 24 points from McDonald’s All-American candidate Rishonda Napier and 19 from Jasmine Smith, the Guards were defeated Saturday in a nonleague game at home.

The Guards were down by 11 points at halftime but came back in the third quarter to cut the deficit to six, 49-43. However, the Vikings came on in the fourth quarter to turn back Bell-Jeff.

Averie Guzman added eight points for Bell-Jeff.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Burbank 4, Arcadia 2: The Bulldogs clinched a postseason spot with a win Tuesday on the road.

Burbank is 7-6-2, 6-5-2.

GIRLS’ WATER POLO

Burbank 15, Arcadia 6: Gabrielle Rodriguez finished with a team-high five goals and teammate Abby Glessner added four Tuesday to lead the host Bulldogs in a consolation match of the Pacific League Tournament at Burbank High.

Burbank improved to 13-12, 3-4, and will meet Hoover in another consolation contest at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Burbank.