These Days, It’s a Small World for Harvard-Westlake

The Twin Towers have taken their act to Stanford, but Harvard-Westlake High has something else this season.

The Twin Triggers.

Guards Victor Munoz and Russell Lakey combined for 42 points and Harvard-Westlake routed Thousand Oaks, 68-48, in a pool-play game of the Thousand Oaks boys’ basketball tournament Monday night.

Times are changing at Harvard-Westlake, with Munoz, who scored 22 points, and Lakey, who added 20, leading the charge. Neither player stands over 6 feet.

“The little twins,” Harvard-Westlake Coach Greg Hilliard joked. “It’s a guard-oriented offense and their quickness is our strength. They’re our [new] Twin Towers.”

The Wolverines won consecutive State Division III championships with Jason and Jarron Collins, who stand an inch or two under 7 feet and are now playing at Stanford.

Lakey, whose cousin, Greg, plays basketball for USC, scored nine points in the first quarter and gave the Wolverines (3-0), the sixth-ranked team in The Times’ regional poll, a strong start.

Munoz scored 11 in the second quarter as the Wolverines dominated with the help of a full-court press.

“They gave us fits,” Thousand Oaks first-year Coach Rich Endres said. “We were stalemated by them, primarily because of their quickness.”

Thousand Oaks (2-3), which trailed at halftime, 36-25, hurt itself by making one of 12 shots in the third quarter.

The Wolverines made three consecutive three-point shots early in the third quarter and outscored the Lancers in the quarter, 21-3.

“Last year, we’d get it to our big fellas, but this year, the first good shot we see, we want to take it,” said Munoz, a senior.

Jason Furino scored 14 points and Tyler Williams added 11 for Thousand Oaks.

In other Thousand Oaks tournament games:

Newbury Park 91, Thousand Oaks JV 42--The Panthers unleashed their press--and a victory--in the second quarter.

Leading, 29-21, Newbury Park’s pressure defense forced several Thousand Oaks turnovers during a 14-0 run.

Brian Polen scored 18 and Chris Czernek added 14 for Newbury Park (4-1).

Grant 71, Oak Park 50--Gilbert Arenas scored 27 points, including nine in a decisive third quarter, for the Lancers.