Cain carries Harvard-Westlake past Loyola
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' BASKETBALL
Freshman scores 19 points in a 68-64 victory that keeps his team unbeaten in the Mission League.
In a noisy gym where first-place in the Mission League was on the line, freshman Damiene Cain of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake acted as if he had played in many rivalry games, maintaining his composure and contributing big baskets in a 68-64 victory over visiting Los Angeles Loyola on Monday night.
"I was very calm," said the 6-foot-5 Cain, who finished with 19 points to help No. 21-ranked Harvard-Westlake improve to 15-4 overall and 6-0 in league. "I like rivalry games. I stepped up to the challenge."
Cain wasn't the only young player to produce for the Wolverines. Sophomore guard Austin Kelly, who looked as if he had been in a boxing match with a cuts on both sides of his face from earlier bumps to the head, had 11 points. "I felt real confident," he said.
Another sophomore, Erik Swoope, had 10 points. Each of the young players needed to come through because their better-known teammate, Tennessee-bound Renaldo Woolridge, was limited to 13 points on two-for-14 shooting.
Loyola (11-6, 4-1) received a memorable performance from 6-8 Georgetown-bound Hollis Thompson, who scored 31 points, including six three-point baskets.
"He was on fire," Harvard-Westlake Coach Greg Hilliard said.
Thompson made all five of his three-point attempts in the first half as Loyola took a 32-29 lead. But he missed all six of his shots in the third quarter as Harvard-Westlake went on top, 47-45.
Loyola could never get closer than three points in the last two minutes. Thompson wasn't able to get much help offensively, though Vernon Davis finished with 14 points.
"We had every chance in the world," Loyola Coach Jamal Adams said.
The one senior for Harvard-Westlake who came up with several critical baskets was reserve Marco Sisto, who had nine points.
But the enthusiastic Kelly, who had seven stitches for one cut and five for another, confidently made two outside jumpers in the fourth quarter and later laughed off the teasing from a teammate, who said, "You can't go a game without bleeding."
If it means winning a league title, Kelly and his young mates don't mind leaving a little blood on the court.
eric.sondheimer@latimes.com
