WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Oaks Christian boys basketball team retained sole possession of the Marmonte League championship by beating Westlake 70-66 in overtime on Tuesday night.
The Lions rallied in the second half to overcome a double-digit deficit and secured their second straight league title.
Oaks Christian’s Nick Giarusso led all players with 30 points and seven rebounds. Stevie Amar added 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks while Isayah Garcia surpassed 1,000 career points with nine points, four rebounds and two steals.
“We’ve hung our hat all year on defense,” Oaks Christian head coach Mark Amaral said. “I was disappointed in our first quarter, we gave up 20 points. We knew they were dangerous if they got in transition. I credit our defense. Quite frankly, our upperclassmen made plays at the end of the game.”
One of Amaral’s key upperclassmen in the game was junior point guard Giarusso. He made key plays on the defensive side of the ball, finishing with three steals, in addition to his double-digit scoring for the Lions (22-5 overall, 10-0 Marmonte League).
Giarusso notched seven points in overtime. Despite being a pass-first point guard, he turned in a three-level offensive performance against Westlake (19-9, 8-2).
“Today was just like, ‘we only have one more,’ so I just had to change my mindset,” Giarusso said. “(I was) just trusting my teammates. I know my teammates will get me open, I’ll get them open. It’s just a lot of trust and staying mentally locked in.”
Giarusso scored seven of the team’s 13 points in overtime to clinch the win.
Another upperclassman who made big plays in overtime was Amar, a 6-foot-4 senior forward. The Boston College football commit had a solid two-way performance.
Amar’s points came at key moments for the Lions, including a put-back off a missed free throw in overtime. His high-flying athleticism contributed to his four blocks. Few right-handed layups were safe when he stood at the low post.
“(Amar) is a Division I athlete,” Amaral said. “He gives us something a lot of these teams don’t run around with.”
Westlake’s loss kept it from grabbing a share of the league title. Still, Tuesday night’s performance left some positive notes going forward into the playoffs.
Westlake began the game strong on both ends, taking a 20-8 lead.
Senior guard Trey Kostenuik led the team in scoring with 22 points. Kostenuik was effective behind the 3-point line, making six 3s, including the Warrior’s overtime-opening score.
Warriors sophomore Zachary Kalinski scored 11 points and continuously attacked the lane, creating drive-and-kick opportunities for shooters on the perimeter.
Both teams will now wait for the CIF-SS playoff pairings that will be released Saturday at noon.