LOS ANGELES —The Westchester boys basketball team defeated Cleveland in the LA City Section Open Division semifinals last week by double digits.
Thursday’s meeting in the CIF SoCal Regional Division II second round was different, as the Cavaliers scored the final six points of the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Gary Ferguson helped the Comets pull away in the extra period, hitting two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws in Westchester’s 71-63 win.
Ferguson, who had only one basket before his late-game heroics, tied the game at 59-59 with a 3-pointer.
With the Comets leading 63-61, he hit a second 3-pointer. Later, he grabbed a big defensive rebound and knocked down free throws.
The Comets will host Chatsworth on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the regional semifinals. Westchester defeated Chatsworth 65-55 in last week’s City Open Division final. Chatsworth won the teams’ regular-season meeting 59-55 in November.
“It’s going to be a great game Saturday night,” Westchester coach DeWitt Cotton said. “We’ve each won once, this one will be the deciding game.
“Tonight they (Cleveland) came out and played hard and got some extra possessions because of our turnovers. Down the stretch (in overtime) our defense started to bother them. A lot of kids wouldn’t have taken that shot after the game he (Ferguson) had. I told him if it’s there take it, and he had the confidence to shoot that shot and he made it. He was outstanding (in overtime). He made some big plays for us there and helped us get the win.”
Sho Evans came off the bench in the fourth quarter for Cleveland and hit consecutive 3-pointers to cut the Comets’ lead to 46-45 with 7:01 to play. With less than four minutes remaining and Westchester leading 51-50, Tajh Ariza scored a tough layup and Courtney Hutchins hit a 3-pointer with 3:05 left to put the Comets up 56-50.
Cleveland didn’t quit. Kamari King scored consecutive baskets to cut the deficit to two with 1:35 left in the game. Roman Finley stole a cross-court pass and went all the way to the basket for a game-tying layup. Both teams had a chance to win the game in the final minute, but neither team could convert.
In overtime after Evans and Ferguson exchanged 3-pointers, Khaeden Asher-Grady put the Comets back in front with a tough floater with 2:10 remaining. Jordan Ballard stretched the Comets’ lead to four with 1:31 to play before King hit a short jumper with 1:19 to play, setting up the moment for Ferguson to deliver one more from long range.
“We came out soft with low energy and that allowed them to stay in the game,” Ferguson said. “I just had to think confidently and keep shooting. I couldn’t be down on myself because I had been playing good the whole playoffs. It was just one bad game. I had to realize who I am and just comeback and hit the 3.”
Ariza finished with 18 points and added 10 rebounds and six assists.
“With him not stepping up in the first half, it’s a long game, I knew he was going to find a way (to do something) especially Gary,” Ariza said. “We came out light today and gave them hope. We got to come out firing (on Saturday) right from the start.”
Junior Ty Ingram led Westchester with 20 points and he is excited to be moving on the regional playoffs.
“I had been in a slump and I was just trying to find myself again. I did that tonight,” Ingram said. “This is big time for us. This is the farthest I have ever went and we want to keep it going.”