By Brandon HENSLEY

After a Pacific League-opening win over Burroughs High School on Jan. 5, the Crescenta Valley High boys’ basketball team has stumbled in two defeats since, one to Burbank on Jan. 8 and another to Pasadena on Monday. The team was at Hoover High School on Wednesday before CV Weekly could post results.

The Falcons scored 61 points against Burroughs, but have failed to hit more than 50 on the scoreboard since then. On Monday at Pasadena, Crescenta Valley looked out-of-sorts from the get-go, falling behind 16-11 after one quarter. The Bulldogs’ lead stayed between eight and 10 points for another quarter-and-a-half until the Falcons (11-5, 1-2 in league) made a move. Arin Ovanessian hit a three pointer and then a pair of free throws, and the Falcons were down just 36-33.

They managed to get it to a two-point deficit a little later, but then the mistakes that troubled them earlier in the game crept up again. Crescenta Valley simply couldn’t hold onto the ball long enough, or shoot well enough, to scratch out a victory. The Bulldogs won 65-49.

As of Wednesday, the Falcons were in fifth place in league, behind Muir (3-0), Burbank, Burroughs and Pasadena (all 2-1).

The Falcons take on Glendale High School on Friday at CV at 7 p.m. The Nitros are now coached by Ib Belou, who was an assistant coach for Glendale under Steve Snodgress until Snodgress retired after last season. Belou is an alum of Crescenta Valley, having played for the program in the early 2000s under then-coach Adam Jacobsen.

After Glendale, the Falcons have two more games at home, Jan. 19 against Muir and Jan. 22 against Arcadia, before taking to the road again.

  Brandon Hensley