SANTA MONICA – One of Southern California’s two-best high school boys’ basketball teams was missing a key element Wednesday night.
But, despite University of Notre Dame-bound forward Brady Dunlap in warm-ups and a walking boot on his left foot, the Harvard-Westlake Trailblazers clicked on enough more cylinders while beating a quality Crossroads opponent, 69-54, on the fourth night of the Westside Tip-Off Classic that is hosted by St. Monica Prep.
Coach David Rebibo’s team improved to 2-0 as senior center Jacob Huggins (11 rebounds) and junior guard Trent Perry (pictured/eight assists) scored 18 points apiece.
Dunlap suffered a strain ligament in his left foot in the team’s opener Monday night (vs. Venice) at St. Monica. The injury isn’t serious, Brady and his father (Jeff Dunlap) said Thursday night and he’s likely to play when the team travels to Texas for a couple of games next weekend.
Junior Christian Horry (the son of former NBA forward Robert Horry), normally the team’s first sub, started and scored eight points and passed and defended well.
Sophomore Nikolas Khamenia (who took five charges and scored all eight of his points in the first quarter) and junior Robert Hinton (11 points, seven rebounds and four assists) turned in their usual quality efforts.
And Rebibo was also able to build upon his depth for the season while giving freshmen Amir Jones and Dominique Bentho quality minutes off the bench in each half.
“That was a very good and physical team we played,” Rebibo said afterward, “and really made us battle throughout. We’ve got some things to clean up but I’m happy how we’re playing so far.”
Six-seven Nils Cooper (the son of former Lakers standout Michael Cooper who signed with Pepperdine last week) scored 10 points despite facing quality defense from the likes of Khamenia, Horry and Hinton.
Sophomore guard Solo Bailey led Crossroads with 14 points.
In other games Thursday at St. Monica, Windward toppled Lawndale, 53-38, and Campbell Hall came from points down late in the first half to beat the host Mariners, 62-56.
The Trailblazers (just behind Centennial in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal ratings) are back in action Saturday afternoon in South Orange County, when they take on Bakersfield Christian at 4:30 in the first-ever Southern California Tip-Off Challenge being hosted by JSerra in San Juan Capistrano.
The event opens at 3, with St. John Bosco taking on Sacramento Capital Christian.
Santa Maria St. Joseph (led by sizzling sophomore Tounde Yessoufou) faces Baton Rouge (LA) Liberty Magnet at 6 and the host faces San Diego Torrey Pines to close things out at 7:30.
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