BELLFLOWER — The Harvard-Westlake boys basketball team was not going to lose to the same team, the same way, twice in one season.
The scenario Saturday night was eerily similar to when the Wolverines lost to St. John Bosco on Feb. 14. They were up late again in the fourth quarter.
However, this time they withstood their opponent’s final run and pulled out a hard-fought 69-64 win at St. John Bosco in the CIF State Open Division Southern California Regional semifinals.
A pivotal point in the game came early in the second half.
Harvard-Westlake senior Brady Dunlap made a 3-pointer and was fouled on the play, but he also came down wrong on his lingering ankle injury. Dunlap’s four-point play put the Wolverines up 41-29 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
After the 6-foot-8 forward made his free throw he went to the bench, visibly ailing but checked back in 25 seconds later and scored the final three of his team-high 18 points that went with his eight rebounds.
“I’ve done it before,” Dunlap said. “This ankle has been bothering me (since) the summer and just looking at my teammates, they were all cheering me on and telling me they need me and that was all the difference. Just them telling me that we’re a family and they need me on the court. It meant the world to me and I had to go out there and battle for them.”
Harvard-Westlake senior forward Brady Dunlap on playing through an ankle injury and scoring a team-high 18 points in @hwathletics’ 69-64 win at St. John Bosco in the CIF State Open Division regional semifinals. @Tarek_Fattal @Drebibo @ladailynews pic.twitter.com/Oe3ILuQTKB
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023
I’m breaking down Harvard-Westlake’s 69-64 win at St. John Bosco in @CIFState Open Division Regional Semifinals. HW’s senior Brady Dunlap played through an ankle injury to score a team-high 18 points. Bosco was led by sophomore Elzie Harrington with a game-high 20 points. pic.twitter.com/FnkZ9JrjeY
— John W….
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