HS HOOPS: H.W. leads by seven at half at Loyola

Harvard Westlake used its superior height advantage and crisp passing to open an early 37-19 lead midway through the second quarter.

Harvard-Westlake's Erik Swoope made a big statement by slamming down a powerful one-handed dunk for the first basket of the game, and he totaled 17 points in the first half.

Loyola, however, did not give up, outscoring Harvard-Westlake 12-2 in the final minutes before halftime to pull to within 38-31 at the break.

Harvard-Westlake's Damiene Cain had 10 points in the first half, while Miles Cartwright scored 13 for Loyola.

The matchup featured two of the Southland's oldest private schools, both with rich basketball traditions. Loyola opened in 1865 and won a section championship in 1953, and Harvard-Westlake opened in 1900 and has won eight section championships, all since 1995.