Pierce Thompson’s Crucial Baskets Lead Harvard-Westlake to the Regional Final

Harvard-Westlake Overcomes Adversity to Secure Victory Against St. Joseph

In a tense matchup, Harvard-Westlake rallied from a 16-point deficit in the first quarter to defeat Santa Maria St. Joseph 56-52 in the Southern California Open Division regional semifinals on Saturday night in Studio City. This remarkable comeback was punctuated by key contributions from junior guard Pierce Thompson, who sank two consecutive three-pointers to tie the game with just over five minutes remaining.

Clutch free throws from Joe Sterling and Cole Holden sealed the victory for Harvard-Westlake, both hitting critical shots in the final minute, with Sterling scoring with 28.9 seconds left and Holden adding two more with only 10.8 seconds to go. With this win, Harvard-Westlake (27-6) advances to face top-seeded Sierra Canyon (28-1) for the third time on Tuesday night, where a spot in the state championship game in Sacramento is at stake. Sierra Canyon secured its position with a 72-60 defeat of Santa Margarita, supported by a standout performance from Brandon McCoy, who recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Thompson’s scoring surge in the fourth quarter shifted the momentum decisively in favor of the Wolverines. St. Joseph (31-3) had established a 48-42 lead, capitalizing on Harvard-Westlake’s turnovers and fouls before Thompson made his pivotal contributions.

"I feel once I see one go in, the next is also going in," Thompson remarked. "I feel this year I had to step out of my comfort zone and have confidence to step up and make shots." He finished the game with 15 points, while Sterling led the team with 18 points.

The Wolverines initially faced adversity, trailing 19-3 as St. Joseph’s Malcolm and Julius Price made several open shots. Malcolm scored 20 points and Julius added 12. However, Harvard-Westlake mounted a comeback with a 10-0 run at the end of the first quarter and entered halftime with a 31-27 lead. The game turned further in the fourth quarter when two of St. Joseph’s key players fouled out.

As the clock wound down, St. Joseph struggled with its shooting, allowing Harvard-Westlake to celebrate a hard-fought victory. This win marks a significant turnaround for the Wolverines, who started the Southern Section Open Division playoffs as underdogs after losing three of their final four regular-season games.

“We’re taking it personally,” Thompson noted regarding the skepticism surrounding the team. “We’re grinding every day.”

In other regional semifinal action, St. John Bosco edged out Mater Dei 75-71 in overtime behind a stellar 32-point performance from Christian Collins. The Braves will host Damien, which advanced with a narrow 49-44 win over Crean Lutheran, led by Elijah Smith’s 18 points.

Palisades triumphed over Torrey Pines 81-67, with EJ Popoola scoring 25 points and his brother OJ contributing 21 as they moved on to face Bakersfield Christian in the Division II regional final. The Birmingham Patriots, surprising many, secured a place in the Division III regional final with an 82-69 victory over Poway, led by Tekeio Phillips’ 30 points and X’zavion McKay’s 23.

In a thrilling finale, Sylmar defeated Canyon Country Canyon 102-94, following a switch to a run-and-gun offensive style reminiscent of Paul Westhead’s approach at Loyola Marymount. Rob Winn led his team with 34 points, while Aiden Garcia and Andrew Galvez added 27 and 17 points, respectively, propelling the Spartans into the Division V regional final.