Burroughs Pulls Plug on Hoover

Burroughs and Hoover highs once battled it out for boys’ league basketball championships.

But Indians and Tornadoes these days play only dress rehearsals.

With a 69-54 victory Friday night, Burroughs did a better job of tuning up for the start of Foothill League play next week.

The Indians (7-8) led by as many as 22 points with 2:17 remaining and seemed to add some luster to their record.

“This was a big game for us,” Burroughs Coach Art Sullivan said. “We did what we had to do on defense. I like that. On offense, we didn’t take too many bad shots.”

Burroughs shot 47.5%, including 52% over the first three quarters. The Indians out rebounded Hoover, 33-20, and forced 19 turnovers.

Burroughs might have made it a real laugher if it hadn’t committed 18 turnovers.

The Tornadoes (5-9) shot only 36% and couldn’t stay with Burroughs after the Indians went on an 11-0 surge after the game was deadlocked, 13-13, late in the first quarter.

Burroughs led, 33-26, at halftime but the Indians built the lead to 50-37 by the end of the third while Hoover made only three of 16 shots in the quarter.

“We need a week of practice, that’s obvious,” Hoover Coach Kirt Kohlmeier said. “And we need some soul searching. There’s too much ‘I’ out here and not enough ‘we.’ ”

J.K. Scott and James Burgess each had 17 points for Burroughs, and they combined for 17 rebounds, with Scott getting 10.

Chas Wiggin and Glenn Adriatico each had eight points, and Adriatico had seven assists.

Andrew Russell scored 20 points for Hoover.

Kris Rubio added 17 points for the Tornadoes, but he managed only two points after picking up his third and fourth fouls midway through the third quarter.

Hoover played without Mark Hull, who averages 13 points and seven rebounds. He was preparing to be the best man in his brother’s wedding today.