Hoophall West: No. 2 Gonzaga Goes Down!

FAB 50 No. 31 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) upsets No. 2 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) on the Hoophall West occasion in Arizona to arrange a Saturday championship sport (9 pm MT) with nonetheless unbeaten and No. 49 De La Salle (Harmony, Calif.).

With California’s prime three ranked golf equipment taking part in within the Nike Event of Champions that includes Hoophall West in Gilbert, Ariz., it was truly just one Golden State membership that was featured within the occasion’s eight-team bracket. State No. 1 and FAB 50 No. 9 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) and No. 2 and FAB 50 No. 10 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) are taking part in in three round-robin video games on the occasion, so it was No. 3 and No. 31 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) that had the very best alternative to make a giant splash on a nationwide stage.

The Wolverines had been at No. 31 within the newest FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings, primarily due to a December 61-49 loss to Timpview (Utah) on the street in Utah, however they’ve atoned for it huge time by their first two video games at Highland Excessive Faculty within the Southeast portion of Phoenix’s better Valley. Coach David Rebibo’s membership two video games up to now aren’t solely nice momentum builders in its quest for a never-before-accomplished third consecutive CIF Open Division state championship in California, but in addition a swoon for all top-rated California golf equipment.

That is as a result of Harvard-Westlake upset FAB 50 No. 2 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 66-63, in Friday’s semifinals in a terrific sport that got here all the way down to the wire. That got here on the heels of its 57-54 first spherical victory over No. 12 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) on Thursday night and people two outcomes will definitely shake up the following FAB 50 replace on Jan. 6.

Harvard-Westlake will take its 17-1 report into Saturday’s Hoophall West championship sport at 9 pm (MT) at Highland (Gilbert, Ariz.) towards one other California membership, No. 49 De La Salle (Harmony, Calif.), in what might be a preview of the 2025 CIF open state title sport which is at all times a North vs. South affair.

Gonzaga, one of many nation’s greatest packages as a part of the highly effective Washington Catholic Athletic Convention (WCAC), made solely 9-of-26 discipline objectives and had 9 turnovers to Harvard-Westlake’s three and nonetheless led 25-23 at halftime. It was solely a matter of time earlier than the Purple Eagles’ effort began to point out up on the scoreboard. They went on 8-0 run to take a 33-27 lead over Harvard-Westlake with 5:47 to go within the third interval and led by as many as 9 factors within the quarter.