Harvard-Westlake boys basketball rolls past Crespi
ENCINO — It was Harvard-Westlake’s night.
The Wolverines won on the road, 80-53, to improve to (19-2, 2-0) while Crespi drops to (14-7, 1-1). The Wolverines have a tough stretch ahead.
“I’m proud of our guys, they’re getting better and showing great connectivity,” Wolverines coach David Rebibo said. “I thought we dropped our hands a couple of times in contests and caused fouls, but we were able to correct our mistakes. The win today was great, but it is over tomorrow. We just have to keep getting better and focus on Alemany. That’s our focus and mantra.”
The Wolverines started strong, shooting 9-of-11 from the field in just the first quarter, including 3-of-4 from the 3-point line, and were rewarded with a huge 24-9 lead.
Senior Joe Sterling, who spent his freshman and sophomore years at Crespi, finished with a game-high 26 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block.
“Any league win is huge for us, and we’re just trying to keep the win streak going as we move on through the league,” Sterling said. “It’s the biggest part of the season right now, so we want to keep stacking the wins out. I just try to come out and compete and do everything I can on the court, and the stats speak for themselves. We got our first league home game next week. We’re going to watch film as a team and prepare for Alemany and keep stacking up these wins.”
The Celts struggled to shoot the ball, ending the night shooting 2-of-19 from deep. The Celts’ best efforts came in the second quarter, narrowing the lead to single digits.
The Celts were led by Isaiah Barnes, who finished tied with a team-best 17 points to go along with his two rebounds and four assists. Cayman Martin also had 17 points and hauled in five rebounds, while Jasiah Williams finished with 12 points and three rebounds.
After slowing the Wolverines in the second quarter, the Wolverines opened the second half with nearly the same success they had in the first quarter. The Celts forced 19 turnovers, but the Wolverines’ shooting helped them hold their lead for the rest of the game.
Harvard-Westlake’s Amir Jones finished with 13 points, and Cole Holden added 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Pierce Thompson scored 19, adding four rebounds and three assists for the Wolverines.