HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : O’Brien Helps Westchester Eliminate Crenshaw

Perennial power Crenshaw was upset by Westchester, 71-65, in the semifinals of the City 4-A Division playoffs Friday night before 2,000 at Loyola Marymount’s Gersten Pavilion.

Westchester (21-7) will face Manual Arts for the championship next Friday at the Sports Arena. The Toilers beat the Comets in both of their Western League games this season.

Crenshaw, the four-time State Division I champion, cut the lead to 62-58 with 2:25 left. But Westchester scored six consecutive points to take its biggest lead of the game, 68-58.

Center LeRoi O’Brien led the Comets with 20 points and had four blocked shots. Guard Kevin Ollie paced Crenshaw (21-5) with 19 points.

Marina 57, San Bernardino 52--The top-ranked Cardinals were eliminated from the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs at Westminster High.

Marina, which was 6-7 early in the season, was led by All-American center Cherokee Parks, who scored 22 points. San Bernardino center Ray Owes finished with a game-high 23.

Marina (18-10) will play top-seeded Santa Ana Mater Dei in the semifinals Tuesday. San Bernardino, which was seeded fourth in the playoffs, finished 27-2.

San Bernardino was without Quan Ha, its best outside shooter, who had injured his knee in Tuesday’s victory over Montclair. Without Ha, who had made 63 three-point baskets this season, the Cardinals were forced to rely on their inside game.

Fremont 96, Marshall 50--The Pathfinders (30-1) continue to prove that they are the class of the City 3-A Division, dominating the Barristers in a semifinal game at Bell High.

Michael Tate led Fremont with 22 points.

Marshall finished the season 19-7.

Millikan 63, Alhambra 44--The Rams restricted the Moors to only 12 points in the first half of the Southern Section I-AA quarterfinal game at Long Beach City College.

Millikan (23-4) led, 40-12, at halftime and went to its bench midway through the second half.

Artesia 74, Redondo 45--The Pioneers extended their winning streak to 15 games with the easy Southern Section II-A quarterfinal victory at Gahr High.

Artesia (23-2), which also has won 10 consecutive playoff games, outscored Redondo (15-13) in the fourth quarter, 26-9.

St. Monica 92, Silver Valley 63--The Mariners continued their impressive showing in the playoffs, routing Silver Valley in a Southern Section IV-A quarterfinal game at Santa Monica High.

Silver Valley (19-6) trailed only 23-17 after the first quarter, but St. Monica (14-8) outscored the Trojans, 21-6, in the second quarter to take control.

Sophomore guard Alex Davis led St. Monica with 25 points and swingman Keith Walk-Green added 23 points. Scott McNeil led Silver Valley with 28 points.

Lakewood 74, Hawthorne 72 (OT)--Forward Mike McFarland scored on a layup with five seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Lancers (17-12) to a Southern Section I-AA quarterfinal win at Long Beach Wilson High.

The score was tied, 68-68, at the end of regulation.

GIRLS

Washington 71, North Hollywood 60--Charisse Sampson scored 28 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Generals over the Huskies in a City 4-A Division semifinal game at Santa Monica College.

Washington (23-4), the two-time defending City champion, dominated the Huskies inside. North Hollywood (23-5) was led by guard Jacinda Sweet, who scored 21 points.