By Brandon HENSLEY

Despite Crescenta Valley High’s second-half adjustments to slow down their hot-shooting opponent, the Falcons’ varsity basketball team could not do enough on Tuesday, suffering a home loss to Burbank High School 88-78.

The Bulldogs grabbed an early first-quarter lead, led by five points at halftime, and never let up, even when CV gained some momentum by pouring on the pressure to cool down the shooting prowess of guards Xavier Davis and Tyreece Willis.

Davis had 32 points, and made nine 3-pointers, the biggest one coming late in the fourth quarter as Davis, who shoots from the hip, chucked a fall-away three well beyond the line to make it 79-68.

CV coaches continually shook their heads either in dismay or dubiousness after almost every three made by Davis and Willis, both players small in stature but scrappy in nature. The CV coaches implored their defense to get up and pressure the guards in the second half to not allow the wide open shots that the Bulldogs made earlier. It worked sporadically, as the Falcons trimmed the lead to five points several times, but could not get any closer.

The Falcons (11-8, 4-2 in Pacific League) relied on Arman Pezeshkian to shoulder the scoring load, and he delivered again, as he has done all season long. He scored 41 points, from all different ways, including forcing many opportunities at the free-throw line. But aside from Pezeshkian and the occasional 3-pointer from Tyler Carlson, the Falcons didn’t have enough to answer the Bulldogs.

It was a similar scene last week when the Falcons dropped a tough game to Muir, 69-60, when they couldn’t stop Mustang senior forward Hunter Woods, who had 33 points and 12 rebounds. Woods led his team back from a double-digit deficit to start the second half and, as he made clutch shots and free-throws to ice the game, he enjoyed turning to the CV pep squad area and pointed to the veins in his left arm, to signify he had “ice in his veins.” He did this several times in the fourth quarter.

CV did enjoy a road victory over Burroughs last Friday, 70-65. Pezeshkian had 32 points.

CV hosts Arcadia on Friday at 7 p.m.

The CV girls’ varsity team outlasted the Burroughs Indians last week in an overtime win, and on Tuesday, they defeated the other Burbank-based team, the Burbank Bulldogs 63-44. The Falcons, who won the Pacific League last year, are 15-4 overall and are 6-0 in league, on track for another title.

  Brandon Hensley