Harvey’s Long Shots Carry Dominguez

The label is starting to peel away for the Compton Dominguez boys’ basketball team.

Bryan Harvey did his part Saturday night in the featured game of the Pangos Dream Classic, making four three-point shots and scoring 20 points to lead the Dons to a 58-53 victory over Etiwanda at Hope International University in Fullerton.

Etiwanda began the game ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times, Dominguez No. 5. The difference between the teams was said to lie in the ability to shoot from outside the key.

The Dons shot 18% from the field three weeks ago in a 35-33 loss to Woodland Hills Taft at the Top of the World tournament at Cerritos College, all but negating the steps they took forward after knocking off the region’s No. 1 team to start the season, Westchester, in the championship game of the season-opening Westchester tournament.

Etiwanda (14-1) was coming off its third tournament title this season last week at the Desert Heat Challenge in Palm Springs, where the Eagles burned the nets in knocking off ranked teams Chino Hills Ayala in the semifinals and Los Angeles Loyola in the final. Etiwanda guard Darren Collison shot 66.4% from the field in earning his third tournament most-valuable-player award this season.

But it was Dominguez (8-3), and especially Harvey, who made the biggest shots against Etiwanda, which moved up to No. 2 in the USA Today national rankings last week. After missing their first seven shots from the field to start the game and making only nine of 29 from the field in the first half, the Dons came alive in the third quarter behind Harvey, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who has signed with Louisville. Harvey made five of six shots from the field in the third quarter, including three of four from behind the three-point line, to help Dominguez extend its lead from five points to 13.

“We’re still trying to find our way,” Coach Russell Otis said. “We have games like this and then we have games like against Taft.”

Dominguez will continue to rely on the shooting of Harvey, who transferred from Carson last season and led the Dons to the Division II state title after averaging 17.7 points and 9.1 rebounds.

Harvey said he transferred to Dominguez for the opportunity to play in more competitive games like the one against Etiwanda.

“It was the best decision I made,” Harvey said. “It just put me in a better environment, a more competitive environment, so I could get more looks [from college scouts].”

After earning the Division II player-of-the-year award last season, Harvey said he started this season looking to perform many of the same tasks he did on the court last season, only in more of a leadership role.

“I do the same thing, as far as scoring,” he said. “I just have to be more of a leader because I’m a senior and we have a lot of young guys.”

Some of the young players quickly noticed Harvey was more than just a skilled player.

“He runs the practice and everything for us,” said freshman Brandon Jennings, who made two key baskets in the fourth quarter to hold off Etiwanda. “He gets us ready for games like this.”

Otis, who has coached several Division I college players and a handful who have reached the NBA, said Harvey is the best shooting guard he has coached.

“I’m happy with his progress,” Otis said. “I think he has to be a little more aggressive at times taking the ball to the basket, but that’s stuff he’s still learning. I’m proud of him.”

The Dons will get another test Friday when they travel to No. 11 Lynwood for a key San Gabriel Valley League game.