Gaels

GIRLS' BASKETBALL Pasadena Armenian General Benevolent Union 49, Holy Family 40: Gaby Diaz had 14 points and Jennifer Rodriguez added eight on Thursday for the visiting Gaels (3-14) in a nonleague contest. GIRLS' WATER POLO Burroughs 20, Hoover 1: Maria Alcantar scored the lone goal Thursday for the visiting Tornadoes (1-8, 0-3 in the Pacific League) in a league match.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — Toward the end of July, Holy Family volleyball Coach Robert Bringas sensed an accomplishment looming on the horizon. After inheriting a squad full of key returners from James Jimenez, Bringas believed that the Gaels were in line to contend for and win a Horizon League crown for the first time in the program's history. Bringas' hunch turned into reality. Holy Family received 21 assists from Rebecca Sanchez and 27 digs from Alicia Marquez on Tuesday afternoon to earn a 25-12, 25-22, 25-16 league win against visiting Bishop Conaty-Loretto at Pacific Park Community Center, clinching an outright title in the process.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — In between the second and third games of their Horizon League match against Alverno on Tuesday afternoon, the members of the Holy Family volleyball team didn't show any signs of distress. After losing a pair of close games, the Gaels listened carefully to Coach Robert Bringas' instructions on how they might be able to mount a comeback and seize control of first place. They didn't miss a beat the remainder of the way. Holy Family received 50 digs from Alicia Marquez and Ashlee Sandoval added 13 kills and 21 digs to help Holy Family net a 27-29, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-12 win at Pacific Park Community Center.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE - All of those losses that piled up throughout December and into early January are now a distant memory for the members of the Holy Family basketball team. Since the start of Horizon League play, the Gaels have turned around their fortunes. On Tuesday night, the Gaels found another way to win despite surrendering an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter before going overtime against the defending league champion. Holy Family turned to a sophomore guard to keep the Gaels heading down the right path.

SAN GABRIEL - Like it's been all year for the Holy Family girls' volleyball team, Thursday's road victory over San Gabriel Mission, which locked up a share of the Horizon Leauge title for the Gaels, was a team effort. Holy Family Coach Robert Bringas played his entire roster, as the Gaels swept the Pioneers, 25-7, 25-17, 25-21, for their second league title - or at least a share of it - in as many years. "As we go into playoffs, the most important thing will be getting everybody, including the girls on our bench, ready to play," Bringas said.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — The start to Tuesday evening's Horizon League girls' basketball contest was hardly picturesque. But for all the chaos and, frankly, ugliness, as Holy Family was concerned, the first quarter was plenty effective. The Gaels used their full-court press, the overall play of Gayle Lachica and the hot hand of Gaby Diaz to jump out to an early lead and never looked back on their way to a 55-32 league victory over visiting Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Pacific Park Community Center.

GLENDALE — Shortly before the season began, Holy Family basketball Coach Ernest Siy mapped out a way for the Gaels to finish in the top three in the Horizon League. Siy concluded he would need big performances from a quartet of players to secure one of those places and earn an automatic berth into the CIF playoffs. And those four players delivered for Siy and the Gaels. Gayle Lachica, Gabby Diaz, Elena Lomeli and Clarizza Merino all earned all-league honors after leading the Gaels to a second-place finish in league.

BURBANK - Down two points entering the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Holy Family basketball team had a good chance to pick up its first victory. That possibility vanished in a hurry during a three-minute stretch to open the final stanza and prolonged the Gaels' search for their first victory for another day. "We are going to get a win, sooner or later," Holy Family Coach Ernest Siy said after the Gaels dropped a 39-30 decision to Carpinteria in a consolation quarterfinal game of the 15th annual Pioneer Shootout at Providence High.

BURBANK — While the Holy Family basketball team was plainly outscored and outrebounded in the second half of Wednesday afternoon's Providence High Pioneer Shootout consolation game, much of what separated the Gaels from Canoga Park over the final 16 minutes couldn't be quantified in the box score. Quicker to every loose ball and defensive rotation, the Hunters simply outworked the discouraged Gaels, who saw a two-point halftime deficit slip away into a 41-31 loss. "It was the hustle factor," Holy Family Coach Ernest Siy said.

SIERRA MADRE - For a team featuring six seniors in the starting lineup, Holy Family softball Coach Greg Ziomek didn't like what he saw from the Gaels during a key Horizon League contest Thursday. Much to Ziomek's surprise, the Gaels committed four errors in a 9-0 loss against host Alverno. Holy Family came into the game tied for second with Alverno in league behind defending league champion San Gabriel Mission. A victory by the Gaels in the first of two head-to-head meetings with the Jaguars would have boosted the Gaels' confidence.

The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene. FOUR GAELS NAB HONORS After finishing in second place in the Horizon League and advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division V-AA playoffs, four members of the Holy Family basketball team earned all-league accolades. Those named to the first team were senior guard Gaby Diaz and senior forward Jennifer Rodriguez . Diaz and Rodriguez averaged seven and 6.8 points per game, respectively, for the Gaels (5-17, 5-3 in league)

LOS ANGELES - The Holy Family High basketball team fought, battled and grinded through all four quarters of Thursday afternoon's CIF Southern Section Division 5-AA first-round playoff game against Bishop Diego. No loose ball went unchased and a solid effort was given on each possession. Despite the hustle, the Gaels still ended up on the wrong end of a 53-28 score against Bishop Diego at Bishop Conaty-Loretto, ending their season at 5-17. Gaels Coach Ernest Siy was still plenty proud of his players, however.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE - It was a furious, yet improbable and perhaps unforeseen offensive outburst for the Holy Family basketball team in the fourth quarter of its Horizon League contest with first-place Bishop Conaty-Loretto. The second-place Gaels struggled in the first three quarters of the second meeting of the season between the two teams, struggling to make just six field goals for 16 points. Then everything changed. Led by Gaby Diaz, Holy Family's offense came alive in the fourth quarter, as the team shot seven of 18 and outscored Bishop Conaty-Loretto by 10 in the frame to hand the Wildcats their first loss in league play this season, 36-32, Tuesday at Pacific Park Community Center.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE - All of those losses that piled up throughout December and into early January are now a distant memory for the members of the Holy Family basketball team. Since the start of Horizon League play, the Gaels have turned around their fortunes. On Tuesday night, the Gaels found another way to win despite surrendering an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter before going overtime against the defending league champion. Holy Family turned to a sophomore guard to keep the Gaels heading down the right path.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL Pasadena Armenian General Benevolent Union 49, Holy Family 40: Gaby Diaz had 14 points and Jennifer Rodriguez added eight on Thursday for the visiting Gaels (3-14) in a nonleague contest. GIRLS' WATER POLO Burroughs 20, Hoover 1: Maria Alcantar scored the lone goal Thursday for the visiting Tornadoes (1-8, 0-3 in the Pacific League) in a league match.

SAN GABRIEL — Every match the Holy Family High girls' soccer team has played this season has come with a handicap, as the Gaels' roster consists of just 10 players — one short of a full team. On Wednesday, the team's numbers were whittled down even further to nine due to a missing player and, with opponent San Gabriel Mission fielding a full 11 with bench players to spare, the deck was stacked even more heavily against Holy Family. The Gaels never got a shot attempt off in a 10-0 Horizon League loss that saw the host Pioneers continue to attack the goal with full force right up until the final whistle.

PASADENA - Something had to give when the Holy Family High and Alverno girls' basketball teams met Thursday night without a win between the two squads. It didn't look good for Holy Family starting out, but the Gaels bounced back and used a lot of double teams to force 28 turnovers and pull out a 28-21 victory. It may have taken a while for the victory to come, but it was perfect timing for the Gaels (1-12) in their Horizon League opener against Alverno at Foothill Community Church.

BURBANK - Maya Okamoto wanted to get all of her teammates involved shortly after they stepped on to the court Thursday morning. The Flintridge Prep girls' basketball player didn't waste any time getting the job done, which led to the Rebels picking up their first victory in the 15th annual Pioneer Shootout at Providence High. Okamoto finished with a game-high 18 points, four assists and seven steals to lead Flintridge Prep to a 44-29 victory against Holy Family in the tournament's 15th-place contest.

BURBANK - Down two points entering the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Holy Family basketball team had a good chance to pick up its first victory. That possibility vanished in a hurry during a three-minute stretch to open the final stanza and prolonged the Gaels' search for their first victory for another day. "We are going to get a win, sooner or later," Holy Family Coach Ernest Siy said after the Gaels dropped a 39-30 decision to Carpinteria in a consolation quarterfinal game of the 15th annual Pioneer Shootout at Providence High.