Big Game Does Not Live Up to Billing

Perhaps it was the pressure of playing in front of a live television audience on Fox Sports West 2.

Or maybe it was the absence of forward Alex Holmes of Harvard-Westlake High, who was sidelined by a viral infection.

Whatever the reason, the highly anticipated Mission League boys’ basketball game between Harvard-Westlake and Chaminade on Tuesday failed to live up to lofty expectations.

Chaminade saw to that by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter and rolling to a 72-56 victory at Chaminade.

The Eagles (11-3, 1-1 in league play) lost to Crespi, 42-38, in their league opener Friday, but they took a 27-7 lead early in the second quarter against Harvard-Westlake, which didn’t get closer than 12 points after that.

The Wolverines (9-9, 2-2) hit their first four shots of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 59-47 with 6:03 remaining, but they were three of 13 the rest of the game, finishing 18 of 60 from the field.

“We didn’t bring our shooting eye tonight,” Coach Greg Hilliard of Harvard-Westlake said. “And we play a game that depends on us shooting well from outside.”

Chaminade, the No. 6-ranked team in the region by The Times, had 32 turnovers. But the Eagles forced Harvard-Westlake into 22 turnovers by rotating players for much of the game.

Scott Borchart, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward-center, had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles and sophomore guard Ryan Arceo scored 13 points.

Junior guard Russell Lakey scored 18 points for the Wolverines.

“This was really kind of a must-win situation for us,” Coach Jeff Young of Chaminade said. “Because you don’t want to lose two games in a row at home.”