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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Semifinals in Harvard’s Not-So-Distant Future

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Harvard-Westlake High’s boys’ basketball team traveled four hours to play a Southern Section Division III-A quarterfinal game Friday night.

But the top-seeded Wolverines needed only 11 minutes in the second half to put away unseeded San Luis Obispo, 65-56, at Morro Bay High and advanced to Tuesday’s semifinals, where they will play Duarte, a 96-94 double-overtime winner over Santa Paula.

Harvard (25-2) put together a 13-0 run midway through the second half to overcome a 45-41 San Luis Obispo lead.

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Jason Collins, a 6-10 sophomore center, scored six of the Wolverines’ points during the surge and finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Jarron Collins, a 6-9 sophomore forward, added 20 points and 17 rebounds while senior guard Ben Robbins scored 18 points.

Harvard made 57% of its shots (27 of 47).

San Luis Obispo, which missed seven shots in a row during the Wolverines’ decisive run, made only 32% of its shots in the second half and 41% for the game.

With the Collins brothers controlling the boards, Harvard posted a 37-19 rebounding advantage.

San Luis Obispo, which finished 18-8, twice led by four points.

The Tigers scored the first five points of the third quarter for a 37-33 cushion and also led, 45-41, when Dustin Barnes made a three-point shot from the left corner with three minutes left in the quarter.

But Harvard outscored San Luis Obispo, 24-11, the rest of the way, holding off a late Tiger run by making seven of eight free throws in the final 43 seconds.

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Senior guard Michael Keller scored 17 points for San Luis Obispo and senior forward Brian Williamson added 15.

Both made three of six three-point shots.

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