Box Score

Jim Riggio There are probably not too many coaches who wouldn't be happy with a team that had more steals in the first half than its opponents had points. Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls' basketball Coach Bryan Camacho wasn't complaining after his team came up with 14 first-half steals Monday night in a Sunshine League win against L.A. Immaculate Heart. The steals helped the Guards quickly jump out to an early lead in a 55-30 victory at Bell-Jeff.

Jim Riggio Competing for the CIF Southern Section Division IVA championship last season, the Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls' basketball team knows what it's like to play against quality competition. The host Guards looked like a team that was making its debut playing big-time high school basketball Thursday as Pasadena Muir earned a 48-15 victory in the second round of the 19th annual Bell-Jeff Summer Hoop Finale at Bellarmine-Jefferson High. Bell-Jeff advanced to the second round after a 48-45 double-overtime victory against Ventura St. Bonaventure on Wednesday.

Jeff Tully Harout Messrelian almost didn't stick it out as a basketball player for the Providence High boys' team his freshmen season, because he didn't know if he had enough time to devote to the sport. Three years later, the senior Pioneer standout has become one of the best players in school history. Unfortunately, Messrelian's fine career came to an end Friday, as the Pioneers fell to L.A. Daniel Murphy, 72-58, in a CIF Southern Section Division IVAA second-round game at Providence.

Jim Riggio Last year, Levon Maronyan was supposed to provide a key role as a post player for the Burroughs High boys' basketball team. But he broke his left arm just before the season started, ending Maronyan's hopes for a breakout season. Back at full strength, the 6-foot-4 Burroughs senior was a monster on the boards for the Indians Wednesday night, helping his team defeat rival Burbank, 58-44, in a Glendale High Summer League game. Maronyan, who had 11 rebounds to go with seven points, said it was difficult to watch from the sidelines last season, especially in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, as the Indians stunned many by and winning three games and reaching the Division IIA quarterfinals -- before losing to second-seeded Lakewood Mayfair.

Jeff Tully The girls' basketball game between Burbank and Burroughs highs Friday night wasn't primarily about getting caught up in a frenzy of cross-town rivalry hoopla. With one win between them in their first four league games, the contest was instead about the Bulldogs and Indians attempting to reestablish themselves in a league thick with talented teams. For Burroughs, a 57-51 victory at home gives the program a little boost in its quest to return to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Adam Baumgarten BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH -- There aren't many teams that can come out and manhandle an opponent while being plagued by injuries. However, that's just whet the Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls' basketball team did Wednesday against Sacred Heart of Jesus in a pool-play game in the Bell-Jeff Holiday Tournament. The Guards had little trouble securing a 52-23 victory at Bell-Jeff. The Guards (6-5) played without freshman shooter Julie Van Dyke, who sprained her ankle last week after leading the team in scoring.

Jeff Tully Being the holidays and all, maybe the Providence High girls' basketball team was a little too into the season-of-giving idea in its game Friday against Ojai Nordhoff. In the first half, the Pioneers gave their share of presents to the Rangers, as the hosts committed 24 turnovers and threatened to hand Nordhoff the third-place victory in the sixth annual Pioneer Shoot-Out. However in the second half, Providence cut down on its ball-handling woes and was able to coast to a 48-35 win at Providence.

Jim Riggio OLIVE PARK -- The going was wild and wacky when the Providence High softball took on Long Beach St. Anthony in a nonleague game at Olive Park. The Pioneers rallied Wednesday and even had the tying run on third base with no outs. But amazingly, St. Anthony pitcher Jackie Burleson retired three batters in a row on fly balls to end the game, as the Saints held on for a 14-13 win. The game was halted after five innings because of a time contraint.

Sang Lee OLIVE PARK -- Hart High softball Coach Cathy Giordano knew it would likely take a big effort to defeat a surging Burroughs squad. But after Thursday's Foothill League contest at Olive Park, the coach found out exactly how much was needed -- say 14 innings. In a game that lasted more than three hours, Hart used an explosive five-run 14th inning to catapult itself into the thick of the Foothill League race, defeating Burroughs, 6-1. Having been carried by the golden arm of pitcher Dani Regan all season, Burroughs discovered the inevitable truth about the young pitcher -- she is human after all. Following a 2-1, 12-inning victory against Valencia on Tuesday, and two victories in the San Fernando Valley Victory Spring Classic last weekend, Regan pitched 13 more strong innings against Hart before finally allowing five runs in the 14th inning.

Sang Lee GLENDALE -- With more than a three-week layoff, the time off may have affected the Indian and Parde bats a little as they combined for just six hits in the Mickey Mantle Baseball League opener for both teams. Luckily for St. Francis, four of the hits were collected by the Padres in a 3-1 victory against Burroughs Wednesday at Stengel Field in Glendale. "The players have to get back into the groove of the game. They haven't played in three weeks, so the hitting was rusty," Burroughs Coach Rick Marino said.