Windward picks up win in first game under new coach

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SANTA MONICA – True “Westside programs” won their season-openers Tuesday during the second day of the St. Monica Prep-hosted Westside Tip-Off Classic.

Los Angeles Windward, in its first game under Coach D.J. Gay (a former standout point guard at Sun Valley Poly and San Diego State, who coached in San Diego for several year), knocked off the host Mariners, 56-50.

Guards Gavin Hightower (one of the better sophomores in SoCal) and Luke Samman (the only senior on the Wildcats’ roster) made numerous big shots and big “plays” in the closing minutes to help their team bag the victory.

It was a game of “runs”, with the visitors – after trailing in the opening minutes, 8-2 – scoring 22 points in a row over the first and second quarters.

And the Mariners nailed four 3s just before intermission to get to within seven points.

And the hosts scored the first 13 points of the third quarter to gain a six-point edge.

But Windward was just “solid enough” down the stretch to prevail in a game that featured a lot of unforced turnovers, careless fouls and missed “makeable” shots inside the lane.

Hightower (pictured) got 14 of his game-high 21 points from the free-throw line.

Following that clash, Santa Monica’s The Crossroads School didn’t have much in the way of difficulty in knocking off Venice (an L.A. City Open Division playoff team last season), 82-58.

Coach Anthony Davis’ program has a bunch of quality underclassmen. But the Roadrunners’ best player is a 6-foot-5 senior, Nils Cooper (son of former Lakers’ standout Michael Cooper), who signed a National Letter of Intent with Pepperdine last week.

In the first of the three games played Tuesday, Chadwick got 21 points and a bunch of assists from senior point guard Micah Breaux to hold off Inglewood, 52-50.

Breaux, an all-CIF Southern Section selection as a junior who – at 6-2 and 200 pounds, has the body of a strong safety – reportedly has a 3.9 grade point average.

The “showcase” event (not a traditional “tournament” in which teams compete for a “championship”) continues Wednesday, with Beverly Hills taking on Culver City (4:30), Newport Beach’s Sage Hill vs. Rancho Cucamonga (6) and St. Bernard vs. L.A. Westchester (7:30).