Harvard-Westlake girls basketball overwhelms Chaminade in Division 1 quarterfinals

STUDIO CITY — The Wolverines ran wild Wednesday night with two alphas leading the pack.

Harvard-Westlake’s girls basketball team defeated Chaminade 65-49 in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Those alphas leading the way were the senior duo of point guard Deana Thompson and wing Bella Spencer.

Thompson and Spencer combined for 41 points and took over the game in the pivotal moments.

Harvard-Westlake interim head coach Alexander Nailes said the two players embody the team’s basketball identity.

“They’ve bought into what we’ve been asking them to do and then they’re just being themselves,” Nailes said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do this whole season, give them the opportunity to be themselves while playing within the team.”

The turning point seemed to come in the second quarter. After a difficult first period, the Wolverines went on a 21-6 run that was mostly led by Spencer.

Spencer was a dynamic and dominant offensive force, demanding the ball from the low post to expose matchup advantages. In the full court offense she often went coast-to-coast, euro-stepping and charging her way to the basket.

Spencer finished with 20 points.

Aside from the double-digit points, Spencer also controlled the rebounds on both sides of the floor. Harvard-Westlake tallied 27 total rebounds with the senior accruing the lion’s share. She also used her offensive rebounds to score on put-back layups.

Despite having a team-leading performance, Spencer said she expected more from herself.

“Tonight, honestly, felt like a tough night for me, my first layups weren’t falling,” Spencer said. “It was important for me to go after the boards. The one thing I can control is my physicality, making sure I rebound and put in the extra effort.”

Thompson, the Batman to Spencer’s Superman on Wednesday, led the team with 21 points. She made three 3-pointers and shot perfectly from the three throw line, finding success at all three levels.

Harvard-Westlake looked to Thompson in key situations, particularly at the end of possessions when time ran low. Her ability to drive into the paint, collapse the defense and find open teammates was an offensive focal point.

Both Thompson and Spencer played key roles in Nailes’ defense. Spencer occupied the paint, contesting close shots, playing help defense and grabbing defensive rebounds. On the perimeter, Thompson consistently closed out on Chaminade’s three-point attempts, helping her team hold the Eagles to making just seven of their 21 attempts behind the arc.

The loss ended the Eagles’ season. Chaminade had highlight-worthy moments Wednesday, particularly from sophomore point guard Angelina Habis.

Habis put up 15 points against a Harvard-Westlake team playing near-perfect man defense. Habis consistently converted contested layups, remaining steadfast through contact throughout the night.

Harvard-Westlake’s quarterfinal victory stamps its ticket to the state playoffs while also continuing its Division 1 championship journey. The Wolverines will host Rancho Christian in the semifinals Saturday night.

“Anybody can get beat on any given night,” Nailes said. “We just have to go out there with the same mindset, to go out there and shut people down, be aggressive on offense and play our game.”