Behind the scoring duo of Derick Newton ’14 and Alex Copeland ’15, the boys’ varsity basketball team bounced back from five straight losses Friday, defeating Notre Dame 66-60 and capturing Harvard-Westlake career win number 600 for head coach Greg Hilliard.

Newton and Copeland, the team’s top scorers, tallied 22 and 20 points respectively to lead the Wolverines in their down-to-the-wire victory over the Knights.

With Friday’s victory, head coach Hilliard hit the six-century mark for wins at the helm for the Wolverines’, accruing 600 wins during his 29-year tenure at Harvard-Westlake. The 600 win milestone proved somewhat elusive for  Hilliard, who stayed at 599 wins for five games as the Wolverines suffered a cold streak. Hilliard has 735 total wins as a head basketball coach, having served as a coach in Oregon prior to joining the Wolverines. Hilliard’s win tally has encompassed nine CIF titles and two State Championships for the boys’ basketball team.

“Two things come to mind [about win number 600],” Hilliard said. “Firstly, I hope all the players who have won those games take pride in their accomplishments and, secondly, I have been blessed to be one of those fortunate individuals who has never been able to tell the difference between his work and his play.  The 600 just reminds me of how grateful I am to H-W for giving me that opportunity, and how grateful I am to the players who have included me in their basketball journeys.”