HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

By Eric Sondheimer and Ben Bolch

Jan. 30, 2009 12 AM PT

GAME OF THE DAY

Los Angeles Loyola (15-5, 8-1)

at North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake (16-5, 8-0)

Tonight at 7.

Why it matters: Harvard-Westlake has won 11 consecutive games and is starting to live up to its potential after struggling early in the season against strong competition. Loyola can move back into first place in the Mission League with a victory, and the Cubs will be out to avenge an 86-81 loss to Harvard-Westlake on Jan. 12. Junior guard Miles Cartwright is averaging 21.8 points for the Cubs. He’ll be challenged by the Wolverines’ junior standout, Austin Kelly.

-- Eric Sondheimer

THURSDAY’S RESULT

No. 6 Riverside King 77, No. 7 Corona Centennial 62

Leading contributors: Senior guard Kawhi Leonard had 29 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots, and senior guard Chris Harriel had 23 points and 11 rebounds for King. Sophomore guard Gelaun Wheelwright scored 18 points for Centennial.

The scoop: Harriel, who did not play in the teams’ first meeting because of a hip pointer and pulled hamstring, helped the host Wolves take a 12-0 lead in rebounding margin in the early going. “The kids played by far their most inspired game of the year,” King Coach Tim Sweeney Jr. said.

Why it matters: King avenged its only Big VIII League loss -- a 73-71 defeat to Centennial this month -- and showed how its length and rebounding ability could make it dangerous in the playoffs. “Their offensive rebounding destroyed us,” Centennial Coach Josh Giles said. “If we played them 10 times, we’re going to get them once or twice.”

Records: Centennial 19-3, 8-2; King 17-2, 9-1.

-- Ben Bolch

High School Sports

Eric Sondheimer

Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column.

Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

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