By Vincent PAGE

Last Thursday, the Crescenta Valley boys basketball team played their final game prior to a two week break from action. They finished strong, beating Burbank High School 66-43 with a strong showing in the second half.

At the start of the game, the Falcons and Bulldogs seemed very evenly matched. Burbank took advantage of the Falcons’ mistakes, and despite being outmatched kept the game close. They showed up to the gym as underdogs, but came in ready to play and were able to keep the game close going into halftime, the Falcons held a tight 30-29 lead.

Burbank kept the game close in the first half by consistently beating the Falcons’ press defense, along with passing out of double teams well. In the second half, Falcons’ head coach Shawn Zargarian decided to simplify things and put the Falcons’ defense in a more normal formation.

That, along with an offensive explosion, propelled the Falcons to victory.

The Falcons started the second half scorching hot, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a dominant lead over Burbank. They finished the third quarter with a 51-32 lead, allowing only three Bulldog points.

Their physicality on defense throughout the second half translated to energetic offense, and the Falcons looked as cohesive as they have the entire season. This dominant win over Burbank sent the Falcons into the holiday break with an 8-2 record (2-1 in the Pacific League). They have cemented themselves as a contender for the Pacific League title this season. However, a loss to Pasadena earlier in the month could make it an uphill battle to win the league outright.

When the Falcons return to action, they’ll have three games against Muir, Arcadia, and Burroughs before hosting Pasadena in hopes of handing them their first Pacific League loss.

  Vincent PAGE