Collins Twins Provide the Difference

North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, the defending state Division III champion, got 24 points each from twin brothers Jarron and Jason Collins en route to a an 80-50 victory over San Mateo Hillsdale in the Division III final Saturday afternoon at the Pond of Anaheim.

Jarron Collins made 11 of 16 field goal attempts and Jason made 11 of 14 from the field. Jason had 17 rebounds, second highest in Division III state final history, and finished his career with 1,500.

Harvard-Westlake finished the season with a 36-1 record. It has been ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 1 in the Southland by The Times most of the season.

It was the first loss of the year for Hillsdale (30-1).

Harvard-Westlake jumped out to a 29-12 first quarter lead and increased it to 50-24 at halftime.

Hillsdale made 20 of 61 field goal attempts for the game and was out-rebounded, 56-31.

“Everything they did took us out of the game,” Hillsdale Coach Bill Wilkins said.

Harvard-Westlake graduates nine seniors. The team’s only loss this season was to Mt. Zion (N.Y.), 63-59, in the championship game at the Las Vegas Holiday Classic Invitational last December.

“We were very confident that we would win the state title again, although there were a few times we doubted ourselves this season,” Jarron Collins said. “The main thing was just having confidence in ourselves.”

Santa Monica Crossroads 93, Sacramento Encina 57--Crossroads set a record for the most points in a state championship game with its easy victory in the Division V final.

Encina unsuccessfully tried to run with the Roadrunners (31-3). Crossroads jumped out to a 48-27 halftime lead and was ahead by 40 points when Coach Daryl Roper cleared the bench with 1:26 remaining.

“We’re not afraid to run with anybody, but today we didn’t do a good job of getting back on their transition game,” Encina Coach Jon Hightower said.

Guard Cash Warren led Crossroads with 24 points, and forward LeQuan Tolbert had 21 points and 17 rebounds. Guard Baron Davis got in early foul trouble, but he finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

It was the second state title in four tries for the Roadrunners, but their first since 1987. Encina, which forfeited 15 games for using three ineligible players, finished 15-21.