Boys’ baskeball: Can Harvard-Westlake beat Loyola?

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Harvard-Westlake was a fashionable top-10 preseason pick because the Wolverines returned all five starters from the team that advanced to a regional final last season.

But injuries to guards Austin Kelly and Nicky Firestone and forward Josh Hearlihy contributed to a slow start in which Harvard-Westlake lost four of its first six games to fall out of The Times’ top 25 rankings.

As the players have returned, the Wolverines have regained top form. Kelly came back late last month and Hearlihy and Firestone made their season debuts Wednesday against St. Francis in their Mission League opener. And so Harvard-Westlake (10-4), ranked No. 21 in the Southland by The Times, will take an eight-game winning streak into tonight’s home game against No. 3 Loyola (14-0).

Nevertheless, the Wolverines once again won’t be at full strength. Firestone, a starting cornerback for the football team who injured his right collarbone during Harvard-Westlake’s playoff game against Oaks Christian, tested it against St. Francis and was not deemed ready to return.

Will the Wolverines have enough firepower against a Loyola team that features guards Miles Cartwright (16 points per game) and Ryan Oliver (12.1) and forward Tony Wroblicky (11.1)? Check back for updates throughout the game on Varsity Times Insider.

--Ben Bolch