By Andrew SIMON

“It could have been really easy for our guys to come out and kind of coast tonight because of what happened the last time, but I think we played with high energy,” CV coach Shawn Zargarian said. “As long as we’re playing with high energy and not looking at our opponent or anywhere else, we’re going to be successful.”

Although Powdrill ultimately finished with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, with Dragovich adding 15 points, it was CV’s lone freshman who spurred the Falcons early in the game. Currie had struggled at times this season, including in recent games, but Zargarian said he’d told his sharp-shooter to continue firing away.

That’s what happened in the first quarter. Although the team wasn’t running plays specifically for him, Currie operated assertively. He got the Falcons on the board with a three-point play before knocking down a trio of three-pointers.

“I think he was more aggressive and looked for his shot,” Zargarian said. “He got out of his slump, and it was big for us and for him.”

Currie’s offensive explosion, which accounted for all 12 of his points, pushed CV to a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“He really gave us a boost at the beginning,” Powdrill said. “It doesn’t matter that he’s a freshman. … We know he can score and we know he can play.”

The Falcons played tight defense on the Indians (5-16, 3-5), and with Currie igniting the offense, they ran away with the game in the first half. CV never trailed, and after Davis Dragovich knocked down a jumper with a little less than six minutes remaining in the half to put CV up by 11, the Falcons’ lead remained in double digits for the rest of the game.

By the intermission, CV was ahead 40-18. The Falcons shot better than 50% in the opening half, including five of 10 from three-point range.

“We’re trying to stress to our guys that how we come out for games really dictates our tempo,” Zargarian said. “When we come out with lots of energy and lots of defensive energy, it really works out well for us.”

This has been the case for CV since it dropped a tight game last Wednesday to Burbank in the final seconds. The Falcons, who were tied with the Bulldogs for second place in league entering the day, now have won two in a row.

Zargarian said the Falcons met after the Burbank loss in an effort to “clean some stuff up.”

After an 11-point win over Arcadia on Friday and the blowout of Burroughs, it seems like the talk worked for a squad that is ranked 15th in Southern Section Division 1A.

According to Powdrill, it’s a matter of the Falcons focusing and playing together. The senior forward took to heart an interview he saw with Lakers star Kobe Bryant on ESPN earlier Wednesday, during which Bryant talked about the Lakers getting complacent.

“I think that’s what we did [earlier this season],” Powdrill said. “We deviated from the team mode and thinking we’re one family. We got back together and regrouped and played as a team, which I think we’d gotten away from a little bit.”

The Falcons will have an opportunity to keep building on their recent momentum when they return home to face Hoover on Friday. The two teams last played on Jan. 8 at Hoover, with CV winning 70-37.

  basketball, Burroughs, CV High School, Falcons