PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Westchester 77, University 56--The Comets have undergone the transition from a poor shooting team at the beginning of the season to a squad that’s on fire now.

Westchester shot 55% from the field Wednesday at University and broke open the game in the second half to record the victory. Earlier this season the Comets shot under 30% in two tournament games.

Center Zan Mason paced Westchester with 19 points and 10 rebounds, Renaud Gordon scored 17 points and grabbed 11 boards, and Sam Crawford contributed 11 points and handed out 9 assists.

Westchester improved to 9-3 overall and 2-0 in Coastal Conference play.

Torrance 61, Palos Verdes 41--Rick Robison scored a game-high 24 points to lift the Tartars to a Bay League victory at home. Toby Waller contributed 15 and Art Terrell chipped in with 11 for Torrance (8-5 overall and 3-0 in league). Palos Verdes (3-8, 1-2) was paced by Ian Chatfield’s 11 points.

St. Bernard 71, Bosco Tech 69--Despite the absence of 6-10 center Ed Stokes, who missed the game because of the flu, the Vikings won because Mark Raveling (27 points) and Terrell Steen (19) tossed in career highs in the Camino Real contest. St. Bernard (13-2 overall and 3-0 in league play) missed 12 free throws in the final quarter.

Crenshaw 111, San Pedro 65--Bigger, stronger and deeper is how Pirates Coach Jack Kordich described Crenshaw, and the Cougars proved it Wednesday afternoon in a Southern Pacific Conference game at San Pedro.

Bad enough to have to face the powerful Cougars with a full complement, but the Pirates had to play with one of their best players, Willie Sanchez, ailing with flu.

Sanchez did score 18 points, but all in the first half, while John Wells led all San Pedro scorers with 23.

“We just ran out of gas,” Kordich said. “Then I looked up and saw their substitutions and couldn’t tell the difference between them and the guys that were coming out. They are so good.”

San Pedro fell to 5-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Dorsey 62, Banning 52--Banning was moving along nicely, holding onto an 8-point halftime lead, until Dorsey stormed back with a strong second half to secure the Southern Pacific Conference victory.

The Pilots (7-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play) were paced by Chris Waller’s 18 points while James Floyd yanked down a game-high 11 rebounds.

Carson 76, Gardena 65--In one afternoon at Carson, the Colts avenged an earlier loss to the Mohicans and kept their Southern Pacific Conference record unblemished at 2-0.

But it wasn’t easy.

Carson (8-5 overall and 2-0 in conference) led throughout and opened a 20-point lead with 1:59 remaining in the third quarter. But before the blowout could materialize, Gardena came roaring back and cut the lead to 51-42 with more than 7 minutes left.

The Colts again forged a comfortable margin midway through the final period, and, after Sandy Davis and Vince Washington knocked down consecutive baskets, they led 64-51.

But the Mohicans kept coming back and cut the lead to 66-60 when Darryl MacMillan scored off Cedric Williams’ steal on an inbounds pass.

Carson then cooly made the free throws it needed when the game was on the line and secured the win.

Washington led all scorers with 21 points and Davis came off the bench to knock down 14, including 8 in the decisive final period. Ray Bennett scored 15 and N’Cosie Littleton contributed 10.

Gardena (10-5 and 1-1) was paced by MacMillan, who scored 20 points (11 in the final period) while Williams chipped in 19, including four 3-pointers.

Earlier this season, Gardena edged Carson, 70-69, in the Artesia Tournament.