Dominguez Upsets No. 1 Westchester

The Compton Dominguez boys’ basketball team might have just passed its stiffest test of the season after holding on for a wild 53-52 victory over Westchester on Saturday in the championship of the Westchester tournament at Westchester.

The Dons, ranked No. 4 in the Southland by The Times, overcame an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit and two late instances in which referees added precious seconds to the clock to defeat the top-ranked Comets.

Trailing, 53-52, Westchester had the ball with 8.2 seconds left but couldn’t get off a shot before the ball was kicked out of bounds by a Dominguez player with .7 of a second left. After referees reset the clock to two seconds, Westchester guard Joey Knox inadvertently threw the ball into the backcourt, where Comet guard Ahmaad Cook picked it up and called for a timeout with .4 of a second left.

After referees reset the clock to one second, Knox’s half-court heave bounced off the backboard.

Bryan Harvey scored four of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter for the Dons (4-0), who took the lead for good with 1:46 left on two free throws by A.J. Tolbert.

Senior Jerard Moret scored 17 points for Westchester (3-1), which played without starters Amir Johnson (broken left foot) and Ray Reese (groin). Both are expected to return for the Comets’ next game Dec. 28.

-- Ben Bolch

Cross-Country

Senior Mark Matusak of Los Angeles Loyola finished third at the Foot Locker national championships Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

Matusak, the two-time state Division II champion, improved on his 22nd-place finish of last year, covering the 3.1-mile distance in 15 minutes 26 seconds. He finished four seconds behind winner Kenneth Cormier, a senior at Douglas (Ariz.).

Senior Brandon Bethke of Lake Forest El Toro finished 11th in 15:41 and junior Diego Mercado of West Covina was 20th in 15:55.

Aislinn Ryan, a junior at Bellvale (N.Y.) Warwick Valley, won the girls’ race in 17:31. Best among the Southland entrants was freshman Kauren Tarver of Phelan Serrano, who finished 16th in 18:38.