State’s No. 1 Rolls Past Tehachapi
Nine of the 10 faces on the floor were the same as a year ago--and so was the result.
Sparked by guard Ryan Smiley’s 14 points in the third quarter, Harvard-Westlake overcame a sluggish start and beat Tehachapi, 66-35, Thursday night in a Southern California Regional Division III semifinal game before a capacity crowd at Harvard-Westlake.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been that spark,” Smiley said. “Each game it’s somebody different.”
But the state’s top-ranked Wolverines (34-1), who will face San Diego University in the regional final Saturday at Cal State Fullerton, sure didn’t look like the fifth-ranked team in the country in the first half.
“That was probably the worst first half we’ve ever had,” Smiley said.
Tehachapi (22-4), with all of its starters back from last year, lost only three times since losing to the Wolverines, 81-42, in last year’s Southern California Regional opener.
Thursday, the Warriors came out in a spread offense and slowed Harvard-Westlake with a zone defense.
Both teams shot 50% in the first half. Harvard-Westlake, which had 11 turnovers in the first half, outrebounded the Warriors, 19-4, but had only a 28-21 lead to show for their efforts.
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