SACRAMENTO — Harvard-Westlake’s chances of becoming back-to-back CIF State Open Division boys basketball champions were in jeopardy late in the fourth quarter in a Golden 1 Center filled mostly with Salesian College Prep fans.
The Wolverines had sacrificed a 10-point lead and were forced to fend off a gritty Salesian team in the final quarter en route to a 50-45 win Saturday night.
“It’s the best thing ever just to play in front of a huge crowd,” Wolverines senior Christian Horry said. “That’s what every basketball player wants. And to be able to hear an opposing crowd just go completely silent and knowing we’re going to win, that’s the best feeling.”
Salesian had taken a one-point lead with 1:30 left on the clock, but Trent Perry made two shots and sank an additional two free throws in the time remaining to seal the win for Harvard-Westlake.
Perry ended the game with 17 points and four rebounds. Robert Hinton scored a game-high 19 points and pulled down four rebounds and Nikolas Khamenia chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and two steals.
The Wolverines (33-3) won Mission League, CIF Southern Section and CIF State titles this season. It was also the second time a Harvard-Westlake team won a state title that day after the girls basketball team won the Division II championship.
“These are two programs that work really hard, that are committed and showed character when it mattered most at the end of the year,” Wolverines coach Dave Rebibo told reporters after the game.
Harvard-Westlake got comfortable midway through the opening frame, playing in transition and tying the game at 6-6 on a a Christian Horry 3-pointer.
The score was tied once more at 8-all before Hinton hit a signature mid-range jumper to pull the Wolverines ahead. Harvard-Westlake closed out the quarter on a 10-0 scoring run.
Zion Yeargin hit back-to-back 3s for Salesian (31-2) at the start of the second quarter, but a turnover and another jump shot from Hinton…
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