Slow-Starting Westchester Handles Riverside North

Westchester High, the two-time City 4-A Division champion, needed a second-quarter wake-up call to defeat Riverside North, 78-69, in a first-round State Southern Regional Division I basketball game Tuesday night at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

After having a bad practice Monday, the Comets began the game flat, and Riverside North opened a 27-19 lead, following a breakaway dunk by Ed Gray.

Westchester responded with 10-2 surge to end the first half and continued to dominate the Huskies in the second half behind James Gray, who scored 20 points.

“After (Ed Gray) dunked on us, we just looked at each other and said that it’s time to play,” said James Gray, who struggled with three first-half fouls. “We remembered our experience from last year, when we lost in the first round and went home with no more games to play.”

Westchester, which lost to Long Beach Jordan in the first round of the State tournament last season, felt fortunate to be tied at halftime with Riverside North after being outplayed.

The Huskies, who finish the season 27-4, were led by Ed Gray with 26 points, including four three-point baskets. He had to take over the scoring load because standout guard Quincy Brewer was in foul trouble throughout and finished with only 11 points.

“I had a bad game, and we just lost it defensively and on the boards after the second quarter,” said Brewer, who will attend Arizona State in the fall.

Lorenzo Ball had a big game for Westchester with 19 points, and Walter Walker had 12, with a game-high 14 rebounds.

The play of reserve guard James Towns--who had nine points, three assists and three steals--also was a key for the Comets.

“We realized that we were playing badly, and I think that it was just a continuation from a bad practice we had on Monday,” Westchester Coach Ed Azzam said. “Towns really came in and picked up our defensive pressure.”

Westchester (28-2) will play Capistrano Valley in the second round Thursday night at Cal State Dominguez Hills.