SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION III BOYS : It’s Another Tall Story for Harvard

Why does Jason Collins score so many inside baskets?

Answer: Because he can.

Collins did Thursday night, scoring 20 points in host Harvard-Westlake High’s 74-53 victory over Tulare Western in a regional semifinal.

The Wolverines (29-2), Southern Section Division III-AA champions, will play Artesia in the regional final on Saturday at 11 a.m. at The Pond in Anaheim.

Collins, a 6-foot-10 sophomore center, was too big to handle for Western (24-5), which suited up no player taller than 6-2. Muscling inside, Collins was perfect on 10 shots--all from within dunking distance.

“It seems to me that it’s all about matchups on any given night,” Harvard Coach Greg Hilliard said. “We were prepared for them. All week, we worked on taking care of the ball.”

And, no doubt, feeding it inside to Collins.

“I used my my height and strength advantage,” said Collins, who also had 15 rebounds and blocked five shots. “The only thing they had was quickness.”

Harvard jumped to an 18-0 lead as Collins scored 12 of the Wolverines’ first 16 points. Harvard, which made nine of 11 shots in the first quarter, held the Mustangs scoreless for the first 7 minutes 15 seconds. Western was unsuccessful on its first nine shots.

Harvard led, 20-2, after one quarter, and led by as much as 29 in the second half.

“We were getting the shots we wanted, they just weren’t falling,” Western Coach Mark Siverly said. “They fell all year, but tonight, they didn’t come.”

Collins, along with 6-10 twin Jarron--who had 10 points and nine rebounds--might have had something to do with that. The pair clogged the middle and, as they have throughout their already brilliant careers, denied the opposition inside access.

“We’ve never been up against anyone 6-10,” said forward Francisco Padilla, who scored 13 points for Western. “And he has a twin brother? We’ve never seen that.”

Reserve guard Ryan Smiley, promoted from the junior varsity late in the season, scored 12 points for the Wolverines.

Eight players scored for Harvard. Senior point guard Ben Robbins scored 16 points and had 10 assists. Senior forward Jason Levin added six points.

“I never feel like it’s over,” Hilliard said. “My assistants always have to remind me to get all the guys in. It’s fun to win like this and let everybody play.”

Harvard had, in fact, blown a 20-0 lead against Hacienda Heights Wilson in the Covina tournament and lost. But the pressure remained for 32 minutes this time.

“It brought back a little flash of that,” Hilliard said. “So, we didn’t want to let up.”

* OTHER PLAYOFF GAMES: C12