Turnovers Victimize Cleveland

With his team trailing by five points at halftime, Westchester High basketball Coach Ed Azzam decided to take the simple approach Wednesday night against visiting Cleveland.

The Comets stopped trying to pressure Cleveland with gambling defenses and stuck to a man-to-man scheme in the second half. A return to basics proved successful as Westchester rallied for a 56-52 victory in the first round of the City Section 4-A Division playoffs.

“We tried gimmicks in the first half,” said Azzam, describing his team’s presses and half-court traps. “In the second half, we just went with a straight man defense. We didn’t do anything different.”

It may not have been revolutionary, but Westchester’s defense came up with 20 turnovers, including 10 in the third quarter when the Comets outscored Cleveland, 17-8, to take a 42-38 lead.

Cleveland tied the score, 42-42, early in the fourth quarter, but Westchester pulled away behind guards Danny Walker and Cullen Countee to post its ninth consecutive victory in the City playoffs.

The Comets (21-6), two-time defending 4-A champions, will play host to Locke (23-9) in the quarterfinals Friday night. Cleveland finished 14-9.

Sophomore forward Ben Sanders led Westchester with 16 points. Walker, a freshman, scored 15, including 11 in the second half. Senior swingman Jason Sanders, Ben’s brother, added 14.

Cleveland led by as many as 10 points in the first half, which ended with the Cavaliers ahead, 30-25. The game turned when Cleveland scored only three field goals in the third quarter and committed several turnovers that led directly to easy Westchester baskets.

Cavalier forward Shawn Bankhead, who averaged 25.6 points in leading his team to a share of the West Valley League title, finished with 18 points but scored only six in the second half. Reserve forward Jimmy Harris led Cleveland with a game-high 22 points.

“It was a lack of offense,” Cleveland Coach Kevin Crider said, explaining his team’s second-half collapse. “We didn’t execute very well in the third quarter.”