Burbank gets a 67-47 win over Muir 

Published by

Lorenzo Antonio

on

Blake Finnigan scores 17 points in the win over the Mustangs 

Three basketball referees standing on the court in a gymnasium with bleachers in the background.
A basketball team huddles together before a game in a gymnasium, with spectators in the stands.
A basketball team, the Burbank Bulldogs, gathers for a strategy session on the court before a game.

The Burbank Bulldogs came away with a 20-point victory over the John Muir Mustangs behind Blake Finnigan’s 17-point game to get their first win in Pacific League play. Entering play  Thursday night, Burbank suffered a 53-80 loss to Pasadena with Muir coming off a 62-48 loss to Hoover. 

A basketball game setting showing players in blue and white jerseys on the court, with spectators in the background and banners on the walls.
Basketball players huddle during a game in Burbank High School gym, featuring school branding and blue seating.
Burbank Bulldogs basketball team gathered for a huddle on the court during a game, displaying team spirit and strategy discussion.

The Bulldogs began the first quarter by going on a 7-0 scoring run with early baskets by Cris Ong and Finnigan. Sean Bagby got the Mustangs on the board by recording one of two from the free-throw line.

A basketball game in progress at a gym, featuring players from Burbank High School and an official in a striped shirt. The bleachers are partially filled with spectators, and banners hang from the walls.
A high school basketball game in progress, featuring players from the Burbank Bulldogs and the John Muir Mustangs on the court.
Two basketball players facing off during a game, with one dribbling a ball and the other defending. The gymnasium is busy with spectators, banners are displayed overhead, and the American flag is visible in the background.

Finnigan then increased the Bulldog lead to eight on an alley-oop layup. Evan Hill and Noah Bozeman combined closed the gap for the Mustangs, cutting the Burbank lead to four. Chris Ong then responded with a three-point basket to restore the seven-point lead for the Bulldogs. Avo Papikyan recorded a two-point basket to help Burbank lead 14-6 to end the opening quarter. 

High school basketball game in progress with players from Burbank Bulldogs and John Muir Mustangs in action. The scoreboard shows Burbank leading, with fans in the background.
High school basketball game scene with players on the court, referee officiating, and spectators in the background.
A basketball player dribbles the ball on the court during a game, with spectators seated in the bleachers in the background.

Hill recorded back-to-back tear drop shots to begin the second quarter to bring Muir to within four and Lavelle Spears made a three to put the Mustangs within one. Jason Campos ended the Mustangs 7-0 with a three-point shot to push the Bulldogs lead back to four at 17-13. It was a neck-and-neck second quarter with each team scoring 15 points. The Bulldogs eventually took control back to end the first half with a 29-21 lead over Muir. 

Burbank Bulldogs basketball players on the court during a game, with spectators in the background.
A basketball player prepares to shoot a free throw, with teammates and referees visible nearby in a gym decorated with a bulldog mural.
Basketball players in action during a high school game, with the Burbank Bulldogs in white and the John Muir Mustangs in blue. The scoreboard shows 29 points for both teams in the fourth quarter.

Following the break, Jon Ong began the second half with a three-pointer to get the lead up to 11 for the Bulldogs. Kaleb Walker and Evan Hill quickly traded points before Walker scored consecutive baskets to make it a 38-24 game.

Basketball game in progress at Burbank High School gym with players from the Burbank Bulldogs and John Muir Mustangs on the court.
High school basketball game in progress, featuring Burbank Bulldogs and John Muir Mustangs. The scoreboard shows the home team with 29 points and 7:54 remaining in the game.
High school basketball game in progress between Burbank Bulldogs and John Muir Mustangs, with players on the court and spectators in the stands.

Things got tense in the third quarter. Double technical fouls were issued on both the Bulldogs and Mustangs. Finnigan went one for two at the free-throw line and Hill made both of his technical foul shots. With 1:27 left in the quarter, Anthony Jawiche was charged with a flagrant foul, which resulted in an ejection. Dylan Heffernan made one of two free throw attempts following the flagrant foul charged to Jawiche. Burbank continued to put Muir away for the remainder of the second half in a lopsided victory for the Bulldogs. 

Basketball players compete during a game, with a Bulldog mascot mural in the background and a scoreboard displaying 32.
A high school basketball game in progress, featuring players in blue and white jerseys on the court, with a large bulldog mural on the wall. Cheerleaders in blue uniforms are visible on the sidelines.
A basketball game in a gymnasium featuring players from two teams, one in white and one in blue, with a bulldog mural on the wall behind the hoop.

“Muir played great basketball in the first half, I thought they did a lot of great things very well but we were not as aggressive to start.” said Steve Eshleman. Eshleman added that Blake Finnigan has been playing well as of late when asked about his 17-point performance in the win over Muir. 

A basketball game in a gymnasium with players from Burbank Bulldogs and John Muir Mustangs in action. Spectators are seated in the background, and school banners hang overhead.
A basketball player attempts a layup in a gym, with a large bulldog mural in the background and spectators in the stands.
High school basketball game in Burbank with players in blue and white uniforms on the court, fans in the background watching.

Burbank improves to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in Pacific League play with Muir dropping to 0-10 overall and 0-3 in Pacific League play. Burbank will take on Norco in the Heritage Christian Showcase on Saturday, December 20th at 6:00 p.m. and Muir will return to action in the new year when they take on Hart on Friday, January 2nd with tip off to be determined.

A high school basketball game in progress, featuring two teams with players in blue and white uniforms on a wooden court. Spectators can be seen in the background, alongside banners hanging from the ceiling.
A basketball game in progress with players in white and blue uniforms on the court. Spectators are seated in the background, and banners are displayed on the walls.
Basketball game scene featuring a referee in the foreground with players in blue jerseys on the court, a bulldog mascot mural on the wall, and spectators in the background.
A basketball player leaps toward the hoop to make a shot while several opponents attempt to defend. A large bulldog mural and score timer are visible in the background.

Discover more from Valley Sports Telegram

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Previous Post

Recent posts

Quote of the week

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.“

~ Michael Jordan

Valley Sports Telegram

About

Telling the stories that no one else is.

Topics

Follow Us

Designed with WordPress

Discover more from Valley Sports Telegram

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading