Hamlet Nalbandyan
NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- The same thing that always happens to the Hoover
High girls' basketball team, happened again in Friday's important Pacific
League game against Arcadia.
Three minutes into the contest, 6-foot power forward Arpa Gregorian --
who, when plays to potential, might be one of the most dominating players
in the area -- was on the bench with two fouls. And when the junior
re-entered the game in the second quarter, she picked up her third foul a
couple minutes in.
Faced with bleak circumstances, Tornado Coach Jack Van Patten did the
unthinkable: he left Gregorian in the game.
His unorthodox move proved to be genius as Gregorian single-handedly
lifted the Tornadoes to a 44-36 victory at Hoover High.
The win moves the Tornadoes (6-13, 3-5 in league) into a third-place
tie with Glendale in league, making the 5:45 p.m. contest between the two
on Thursday at Glendale even more enticing.
Gregorian finished with a game-high 18 points, nine rebounds and four
assists. Fourteen of those points came in the second half, when Hoover
overcame a 26-15 deficit midway through the third quarter to pull out the
win.
"This is the most complete game Arpa has played this season," said Van
Patten.
"Now the season is exciting again. We've got something to play for."
With Gregorian on the bench for most of the first half, Hoover's
offense was nonexistent, and Arcadia (11-8, 2-6) -- which was not doing
much either -- was able to claim a 22-12 halftime advantage.
But a refocused Gregorian changed the face of the game in the second
half. Her post play had the Apache defense stumped. She scored on
fadeways. She scored on putbacks. And when the Apaches realized that she
was Hoover's only scoring option, she kicked it out to the perimeter for
open jump shots.
And when Gregorian found sophomore Areni Mahdessian for an open
three-pointer, giving Hoover its first lead at 38-36 with a little over a
minute left, it was clear the Tornadoes were not going to be turned away.
"I've got this problem, where in a game, all I think about is not
messing up," Gregorian said. "And when I do mess up or some little thing
goes against me, I just get down and lose focus."
"But when coach didn't take me out after I got my third foul, I was
like, 'that's it, let's do this.' It felt like he had the confidence in
me, and I was going to prove him right."
BOX SCORE
Arcadia*12*10*8*6*--*36
Hoover*2*10*11*21*--*44
ARCADIA -- Friday 11, Tokushige 9 and 9 rebounds, Mischenko 7 and 7
rebounds, Metzler 4, Warden 3, Hayashi 2.
Three-pointers: none.
HOOVER -- Gregorian 18, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, Eskandari 10, 9
rebounds and 8 assists, Arutyunyan 9 and 4 steals, Mahdessian 6, Orue 1.
Three-pointers: Mahdessian 2.
