Pacific Hills stays perfect in league with 68-56 win over Windward

If anyone wants to know how much high school basketball has changed in the last decade, all you need to do is take a trip to watch one of the ambitious small private school teams and you’d be impressed by the immense talent on the court.

It no longer matters how small a school is; all it takes is a few good players, and the team can compete against anyone. That’s the case with Los Angeles Windward and Pacific Hills, which met Tuesday night in an Alpha League showdown featuring plenty of future college players.

The best player on the court was senior point guard Brandon Taylor of Pacific Hills. He scored 34 points, including 10 for 10 from the free-throw line, to help the Bruins (20-3, 4-0) take over first place with a 68-56 win at Windward.

Taylor and junior guard Marcus Jackson, who scored 20 points, combined to make seven of the Bruins’ nine three-point baskets.

It was a huge win coming against a Windward (13-7, 2-1) team that owns victories this season over La Verne Lutheran, ranked No. 1 in Southern Section Division 4AA, and Woodland Hills Taft, considered the City Section Division I title favorite.

Jordan Wilson had 19 points and Nicholas Stover scored 17 for the Wildcats, who tried to rally from a 54-37 deficit after three quarters by scoring the first 10 points of the fourth quarter, only to see Taylor halt the rally with perfect free-throw shooting.

His improvement this season is impressive.

“He’s always had something you can’t teach, that instinct,” Coach Ivan Barahona said. “He could see things before they happen. He just had to believe in himself and dedicate himself to training, being in the gym, working on his jump shot. He’s become a student of the game.”

Said Taylor: “I’ve been in the gym. I’ve been dedicated to basketball. I’ve been listening. You have to listen to learn.”

Pacific Hills, ranked No. 1 in Division 4A, plays exceptional defense for a team that doesn’t have a true center. John Mills, Jason Kidd Jr. and Jackson use their athleticism to provide sound help defense, and Windward struggled to score points all game.