Nitros implode in fourth quarter

Sang Lee

ARCADIA -- It’s a good thing Glendale High girls basketball coach

Errol Garnett isn’t a weatherman because his squad has been less

predictable than a tsunami.

On any given night you can see the Nitros play the game like a

symphony. But often on the same night you’ll also see their rendition of

a third grade orchestra.

Throughout three quarters of fine play in their Pacific League-opening

game against Arcadia High on Tuesday, Glendale hung in with a

well-disciplined Apache squad and exchanged blows in a competitive game.

But on cue, the Nitros imploded and lost their touch scoring only

seven points in the final quarter to lose the game 64-48.

“We just have to play for four quarters. We either start very poorly

and run out of time at the end or we start great and falter late in the

game,” Garnett said. “It’s been like this all season. This is our

seventeenth game and we’re playing like it’s our first.”

The Nitros now hold a record of 6-11 and 0-1 in league and have yet to

play a full 32 minbutes of the type of basketball Garnett feels his team

is capable of.

“It’s not anything mental. But the fatique was starting to affect our

shooting. We have to start cutting down on our mistakes,” he said.

But credit goes to where it belongs. Arcadia played a full game led by

the clutch shooting of Becky Mischenko. Mischenko went nine of 17 from

the field en route to her game-high 18-point performance. Jennifer Friday

also helped out scoring all 11 of her points in the second half.

“[This game] was very encouraging,” Arcadia Coach Mike Oglesby said.

“Last year, we started league off with a tough loss to Glendale and it

got us off to a bad start.”

Arcadia was 1-9 in league play last season winning their only game the

second time around against Pasadena.

“We’re not going to be any worse than last year,” Oglesby said as a

safe bet.

The Apaches have been feeling it as they’ve amassed a record of 10-3

and 1-0 in league.

Glendale’s Arpi Babakhanian and Anika Hartounian split duties as the

Nitros leading scorer as both had 12 points. Babakhanian and Melina

Shahverdian both had eight rebounds to control the paint.

BOX SCORE

Glendale*16*11*14*7*--*48 Arcadia*13*16*18*17*--*64 GLENDALE -- Ar.Babakhanian 12, Hartounian

12, Baghdasaryan 6, Shahverdian 5, An. Babakhanian 4, Avanessians 4,

Cholakian 2, Gupilan 2, Danyelian 1.

Three-pointers:Avanessians, Hartounian, Shahverdian.

ARCADIA -- Mischenko 18, Tokushige 14, Friday 11, Hayashi 7, Metzler

4, Warden 4, Lee 3, Kouch 3.

Three-pointers:Tokushige 2, Kouch, Lee.