Harvard-Westlake Finds Case of Deja Vu, 81-77

Brand new team, same old result.

Despite four new faces in the starting lineup, Harvard-Westlake High won the Thousand Oaks boys’ basketball tournament for the third year in a row, defeating Dos Pueblos, 81-77, in the championship game Friday night.

It was the lone veteran of the team, Victor Munoz, who led Harvard-Westlake.

Munoz scored 23 points, including 13 in the second quarter, and was selected the tournament’s most valuable player.

Coach Greg Hilliard, who has been around for Harvard-Westlake’s three tournament titles, ranked this one at the top.

“This one may be sweeter than the others because it was a bit unexpected,” Hilliard said.

The Wolverines (6-0), ranked No. 6 in The Times’ regional poll, weren’t so sweet in the first quarter. They committed 12 turnovers but only trailed, 15-9, at the end of the quarter because Dos Pueblos made only six of 18 shots (33.3%).

Harvard-Westlake awoke in the second quarter. Munoz drilled three three-point baskets to spur a 27-7 run that put the Wolverines ahead, 37-26.

Harvard-Westlake led, 72-69, with just under 3:00 to play, but Russell Lakey hit a three-pointer and the Wolverines made all six of their free throws down the stretch to keep Dos Pueblos (5-2) at bay.

“We’re just taking it little by little, working on our details, trying to get every one involved,” Munoz said.

Harvard-Westlake will know exactly where it stands when it revisits the Holiday Classic in Las Vegas starting Friday.

Teams in the tournament include Long Branch (N.J.), which has four of the top 100 players in the nation, and Rice (N.Y.), one of the top five teams in the nation. Mt. Zion (N.C.), the team the Wolverines lost to in the tournament championship last year, will also be there.

“We’ll know where we are and where we have to go,” Hilliard said. “But [we’ve] come very far already this season.”

Lakey finished with 11 points and was selected to the all-tournament team.

Shauntay Legans scored 29 points for Dos Pueblos.

In other tournament games:

Newbury Park 77, Grant 69--Daniel Bobik scored 12 of his 26 points for Newbury Park in the fourth quarter of the game for third place.

Bobik, who has committed to BYU, scored the final nine points for the Panthers, who lengthened a 67-65 lead.

The game initially was delayed for nearly 25 minutes with 4:40 left in the second quarter when the scoreboard broke down. The scoreboard malfunctioned two other times in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers (6-2) played without Brian Bobik, Daniel’s brother, who had back spasms. He is expected to be ready for the Marmonte League opener against Westlake on Wednesday, when the Panthers begin their title defense.

Gilbert Arenas scored 30 points for Grant (3-3).

Bendigo (Australia) 61, Oak Park 54--In the game for fifth place, the Eagles held a 14-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, but were outscored in each of the final three quarters.

Gregg Jones scored 18 points for Oak Park (2-4).