Boys’ varsity basketball started its season emphatically with a runaway 68-25 home win over Marshall High School on Monday, Nov. 21.

Gritty defense was the driving force behind the triumph. Burlingame fought for possession on each rebound and loose ball. The Panthers never took their foot off the gas, applying pressure until the buzzer each and every quarter.

Burlingame also distributed the ball well, patiently running down the clock until an open shot emerged. The victory was a team effort, with 11 different Panthers putting points on the board.

“We had tremendous balance. We did a great job sharing the ball. It was nice to see kids be so unselfish. That’s the sign of a good team,” head coach Jeffrey Dowd said. “All our success [this season] will be on the defensive end and focused on sharing the ball.” 

On the opposing side of the bench, Marshall relied heavily on senior center Kiejuan West, who scored nine of their 12 first half points. 

“He’s tall but still has great touch. He made some really tough shots,” Dowd said.

For Burlingame, senior center Kyle Haslam, who battled injuries last season and was still finding his touch during preseason scrimmages, had a standout performance. Haslam scored an efficient 15 points while shooting 88% from the field during his 18 minutes on the floor. 

Senior guards MJ Dowd, Kevin Chiu and Zaden Martin all also had solid showings, combining for 27 points and 14 assists. 

Looking ahead, Burlingame hopes to improve from the three-point line. 

“We had six threes today. I see us eventually getting to 10 a game,” Dowd said. “That would be a good goal for us. We’ve got a lot of coachable players who want to get better.”

The Panthers will look to do just that in their next home game against Leland High School on Wednesday, Nov. 30.