Harvard-Westlake Wins Best in the West

LONG BEACH —  Harvard-Westlake boys basketball Coach Greg Hilliard said after the second round of the Best in the West tournament that he knew his team would be tested before the tournament was over.

That test came in Monday’s final against Artesia at Long Beach City college, and if the Wolverines proved anything with their 69-60 victory, it was they are literally head and shoulders above the premier high school teams in the western United States

Six-foot-10 twins Jason and Jarron Collins dominated the inside throughout their five games, and Monday night was no exception.

Jason, named tournament MVP, had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Jarron added 12 points and 10 rebounds against a 12-1 Pioneer team that lists its tallest player at 6-6. Throughout the tournament the Wolverines did not face a player taller than 6-8.

Artesia was within 55-52 with three minutes left to play, but the Wolverines easily broke the Pioneers’ full-court pressure defense in the final stretch, scoring three fast-break baskets.

Clutch outside shooting early in the game by Victor Munoz, Rico Cabrera and Marcelo Serafini, who came off the bench and made two three-point baskets in the second quarter, foiled the Artesia strategy and left the middle for the Collins twins.

“I hope what we’ve been proving is that our talent goes a lot deeper than just two players,” Hilliard said. “We’ve got other good players out there.”

The Wolverines (15-1), who are ranked No.9 nationally in today’s USA Today poll, won the first four games of the tournament by an average of 26 points.

Munoz and Jarron Collins also were named to the all-tournament team.