Aja Locke scored the game-winning basket with six seconds remaining in regulation 

Following a 1-1 record at the John Burroughs High School Girls Varsity Basketball Showcase, the Lady Bulldogs lost a close one to the alumni squad 55-54. The alumni sealed the victory with Aja Locke’s game-winning basket with six seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Burbank came away with a 49-57 loss to Santa Monica and then squeezed a narrow 57-54 win over Leuzinger at the Burroughs showcase last weekend. 

Both squads traded buckets to start the game as Evelyn Abrami and Leandra Nazarian got points for their respective sides. Locke responded with a two-point basket to give the Alumni a one-point lead. The first quarter continued to be a neck-and-neck battle, but Nazarian and Charlotte Hartwell helped give the Lady Bulldogs a 14-11 lead over the alumni team to end the first quarter. 

The second quarter was just like the opening quarter. The two teams again traded baskets to start the second period with Hartwell and Karen Casillas both having back-to-back two-point shots. Neither team had a large advantage throughout the contest, and the Lady Bulldogs ended the first half with a four-point lead. 

Following intermission Lauren Navarro and Talyiah Herdsman put the varsity squad up by 10 to begin the second half in hopes of putting the game away. The alumni, however, never gave up hope throughout the third quarter as Locke nailed a buzzer-beater to put the alumni squad within one heading into the fourth quarter. 

Nazarian started the final quarter with a three-point basket to give the Lady Bulldogs a 43-40 lead, but Abrami tied the game with a layup not long after Nazarian’s three-point shot. 

Alex Richins and Andrea Aparacio both scored baskets to give the Lady Bulldogs a 48-43 lead. Locke came up big again to make it a three-point game with a two-point bucket for a score of 48-45. Finally, Locke nailed an inside shot with 6.0 seconds left in the game to give the Alumni squad a one-point lead. 

Nazarian had a chance to drive to the hoop for a potential game-winning shot, but Locke made a defensive stop to end the game to give the alumni the one-point victory. 

The Lady Bulldogs will return to action after Christmas Day to take on Notre Dame Academy at the Sacred Heart High School Girls Varsity Basketball Tournament on Thursday, December 26th with tip-off slated for 6:00 p.m. This will be the first of four games for Burbank at the Sacred Heart Tournament Showcase.