The L.A. Games : Westchester Defeats Cleveland for Title

It’s billed as the largest high school basketball tournament in the country, with a waiting list almost as long as the movie theater lines in Westwood.

Including 124 teams and turning away 60 squads, the L.A. Games boys’ basketball tournament produces a champion that is closely watched going into the next high school season.

This year, Westchester High is the team to watch.

The Comets defeated defending champion Cleveland High, 77-75, for the title Sunday at El Camino College.

But Westchester Coach Ed Azzam wasn’t ready to make predictions for next season.

“I’m not one for reputations,” Azzam said. “You earn it on the court. Everybody says we’re supposed to be the best team in the city next year, but next year is next year.

” . . . We’re going to be very good next season. But how we end up, I don’t know.”

The Comets were led by tournament most valuable player Sam Crawford. The 5-foot 9-inch point guard broke loose for a game-high 29 points, including 2 free throws with 18 seconds left to clinch the win.

“I want to win a championship at every level,” Crawford said. “Last year wasn’t our year. This year will be.”

Absent from the tournament was perennial power Crenshaw High. Winner of five of the last seven L.A. Games titles and seeded No. 1 this year, the Cougars decided not to field a team because many of their players are away at summer camps.

Azzam discounted Crenshaw’s absence and praised his team’s effort.

“The kids played real hard. It was an excellent effort. Both teams played well. It went up and down,” Azzam said.

Cleveland’s Warren Harrell stood at the free-throw line with 30 seconds left with a chance to tie the score at 75-75. Harrell missed the front end of a one-and-one.

“At the end it came down to free throws,” Cleveland Coach Bob Braswell said. “We stepped up to the free-throw line and missed. That has to be an automatic part of your game, and we just didn’t step to the line with any kind of confidence.”

That lack of confidence may be understandable, considering Cleveland returns a young team featuring seven juniors. Westchester returns four starters from last year.

Westchester got to the final by defeating Granada Hills, 65-55, in the semifinals. Cleveland made it by squeaking past Manual Arts.

Manual Arts, the defending state Division I champion, ran off nine unanswered points to take a 35-27 halftime lead and led by nine points with just over three minutes remaining.

But the Toilers looked like a different team in the final minutes, turning the ball over three consecutive times and allowing Cleveland to steal the decision, 47-45.