State’s No. 1 Rolls Past Tehachapi

Nine of the 10 faces on the floor were the same as a year ago--and so was the result.

Sparked by guard Ryan Smiley’s 14 points in the third quarter, Harvard-Westlake overcame a sluggish start and beat Tehachapi, 66-35, Thursday night in a Southern California Regional Division III semifinal game before a capacity crowd at Harvard-Westlake.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been that spark,” Smiley said. “Each game it’s somebody different.”

But the state’s top-ranked Wolverines (34-1), who will face San Diego University in the regional final Saturday at Cal State Fullerton, sure didn’t look like the fifth-ranked team in the country in the first half.

“That was probably the worst first half we’ve ever had,” Smiley said.

Tehachapi (22-4), with all of its starters back from last year, lost only three times since losing to the Wolverines, 81-42, in last year’s Southern California Regional opener.

Thursday, the Warriors came out in a spread offense and slowed Harvard-Westlake with a zone defense.

Both teams shot 50% in the first half. Harvard-Westlake, which had 11 turnovers in the first half, outrebounded the Warriors, 19-4, but had only a 28-21 lead to show for their efforts.