Westchester Stops Fairfax

You can thank people such as Arizona Coach Lute Olson and former NBA star Reggie Theus for providing the real entertainment at the boys’ basketball game Tuesday night between Westchester High and Fairfax.

That’s because people-watching became the activity of choice once Westchester opened a 22-point second quarter lead en route to its 100-68 Western League thrashing of host Fairfax.

The Comets (12-1), No. 1 in The Times’ rankings, defeated the No. 4 Lions (15-3) for the second time this season, this time in a much more emphatic manner than their two-point win last month.

“We gave them a lot of confidence last time, so we had something to prove--that we’re the best team in the City Section,” said Comet guard Brandon Heath, who scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half as Westchester opened leads as large as 38 points.

The game was played in sauna-like conditions in Fairfax’s tiny gym, which was filled beyond capacity as fans clogged the walkways and stood along the baselines. The Lions played as if they were being suffocated on offense in the first half, as they hurried shots and turned the ball over repeatedly.

Fairfax’s Evan Burns, who has committed to UCLA but undoubtedly was drawing looks from five NBA scouts who attended the game, scored only two of his team-high 21 points when the game was close.