Hamlet Nalbandyan
It wasn't quite the 100-point performance the packed house at
Renaissance Academy was hoping for.
But Pico Rivera Mesrobian's Tigran Grigorian was still a force to
be reckoned with during Friday night's CIF Southern Section Division
VA quarterfinal game.
After a slow start -- which included a one-for-10 shooting
performance -- the senior guard heated up to score 22 points during
Mesrobian's 59-50 win against the No. 4-seeded Wildcats, who reside
in La Canada Flintridge.
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BOX SCORE
*--*
*--*
Mesrobian 15 15 14 15 -- 59
Renaissance Acad 12 11 9 18 -- 50
*--*
*--*
MESROBIAN
Grigorian 22 and 7 steals, Wassilian 16 and 16 rebounds, Yelian 11,
Chakarian 5 and 5 assists, Poladian 3, Adjemian 2. *
Three-pointers: Grigorian, Chakarian
RENAISSANCE ACADEMY
Greff 24, Clitheroe 18, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, Dihn 5, Robb 3. *
Three-pointers: Greff 2, Clitheroe
*--*
Grigorian -- who became just the 16th player in the nation and the
only one from California to score 100-or-more points in a game during
a 114-47 victory against L.A. Pacific Christian earlier this season
-- also had seven steals, but he didn't have the greatest shooting
night.
He made just nine of 24 from the floor, with a couple of his
attempts drawing nothing but air and another hitting the side of the
backboard.
Still, Renaissance Academy Coach Sid Cooke was impressed with
Grigorian's performance.
"He's a good player, and they're a good team," said Cooke, whose
team dropped to 19-7 and was led by Billy Greff's 24 points and Aaron
Clitheroe's 18.
Added Mesrobian Coach Vic Karapetian, whose team improved to 19-3
and will face top-seed L.A. Price in Tuesday's semifinals: "If the
criteria for greatness is measured by winning, than that's what we're
going to do. I'm loving this right now. This is what the playoffs are
about and this is why you play basketball."
