Udeze Is Name of the Game for Harvard-Westlake

If you think pronouncing Omelogo Udeze’s name is difficult, just try guarding Harvard-Westlake High’s senior forward.

Wasco High tried valiantly Thursday night in a Division III Southern Regional girls’ basketball semifinal. But ultimately, the Tigers failed.

Udeze made 16 of 20 shots and scored 33 points in Harvard-Westlake’s 65-54 victory before a raucous capacity crowd of about 1,500 at Shafter High.

“This was the most on I’ve ever seen her,” said junior guard Brooke Porter, who has played alongside the 6-foot-2 senior for three seasons.

Porter had 10 points and nine assists and L’Tanya Robnett added nine points.

The Wolverines (28-5) advanced to the regional final at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Pyramid in Long Beach, where they will play Rosary, a 64-53, winner over Morningside.

The winner Saturday will play the Northern Regional champion for the state title next week at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

“We want another long road trip,” said Udeze, who scored 18 points Tuesday in a first-round victory at San Diego Kearny, helping send the Wolverines on Thursday’s 240-mile round-trip to Shafter.

Udeze’s short bank shot midway through the third quarter gave the Wolverines a 45-25 lead, but Wasco answered with an 18-4 run to narrow the margin to 49-43 early in the fourth.

The lead would shrink to 52-47 before Harvard-Westlake made seven free throws in the final four minutes.

“I was worried,” Coach Brian Taylor of Harvard-Westlake said. “I was [very] worried.”

Rolake Bamgbose, who had seven points for Harvard-Westlake, made three of four free throws in the closing minutes.

Christal Williams led the second-half surge for Wasco, scoring 11 of her 21 points after halftime. LaToya Demery added 14 points.

Harvard-Westlake last played Rosary in 1997, when the Wolverines lost in a Southern Section Division III-A quarterfinal.

Udeze, who finished with 11 rebounds, made 10 of 13 shots in the first half and had 21 points when Harvard-Westlake took a 37-22 lead into intermission.

“I just hand it to her,” Coach David Lucas of Wasco said.

“She took it to us tonight. She’s a great player.”