Prep basketball playoffs: Joe Sterling & Co. lead Harvard-Westlake past La Mirada
Joe Sterling owns so many headbands (over 20) that he could use an NIL deal when he reaches his next destination, the University of Texas at Austin. He should also make sure his shoes don’t malfunction like they did in the second quarter Tuesday night against La Mirada.
With his white headband in working order and his shoe repaired, Sterling helped lead a second-half Harvard-Westlake surge that resulted in a 71-57 victory, sending the Wolverines into the Southern Section Open Division championship game on Saturday.
The Wolverines (26-5) will face Mission League rival Sierra Canyon (26-1) at 6 p.m. at Toyota Arena. Sierra Canyon defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 70-46 in the other semifinal. Do the Wolverines have a chance to topple the top-seeded Trailblazers?
“If we didn’t have our chance, we wouldn’t be here. We’re here,” Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo said.
Sterling finished with 25 points and was supported by Amir Jones and Cole Holden, who each scored 14 points. Dominique Bentho played a big role in Harvard-Westlake’s second-half surge, scoring six of his eight points in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines trailed 36-34 at halftime, then started the third quarter on an 8-0 run and led 56-43 with eight minutes remaining.
The big adjustment the Wolverines made made La Mirada’s Gene Roebuck work a little harder. Roebuck finished with 29 points and punished the Wolverines with his driving force and drawing fouls. Harvard-Westlake tried to tire him out in the second half by denying him the ball and pushing him away from the basket.
“It’s a bulldog,” Rebibo said.
Harvard-Westlake has clearly regained its momentum after losing three of its last four regular season games and now reached the final.
“The season is long,” Rebibo said. “We’ve reached our lull. We need to hit the reset button.”
Sterling said: “We used it as motivation. We were playing through adversity.”
The Wolverines are playing freely and have nothing to lose. They were laughing and smiling before the match. The only advantage they might have Saturday is that Sierra Canyon has played so many home games in February that players may not remember what a game outside of Chatsworth is like.
Girls
Sierra Canyon 66, Etiwanda 62: Down 18 points at halftime, Etiwanda mounted a furious comeback, closing to within two points with two seconds left until Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson clinched the win in the Open Division semifinals with two free throws. She finished with 24 points.
Sierra Canyon will face top-seeded Christian from Ontario in Saturday’s final at 8 p.m. at Toyota Arena. Ontario Christian defeated Sage Hill 86-54.
