Guard Michael Sheng ’14 set the Harvard-Westlake boys’ basketball record for most career assists this season, but Friday, it was Sheng’s shooting touch that kept his Wolverine basketball career alive. After hitting a game-tying three pointer to send the game to overtime, and by combining with Derick Newton ’14 and Alex Copeland ’15 for 84 total points, Sheng and the boys’ basketball team defeated Maranatha 98-96 to survive and advance to the third round of CIF Playoffs.

In their second round game, the Wolverines’ triple threat of Sheng, Newton and  Copeland rose to the occasion. Newton led the Wolverines with 34 points and closed the game out with the team’s final points in overtime. In his own 26-point-performance, Sheng hit the three pointer on the run to knot up the game at 88 all with six seconds remaining in the game. Copeland added on his own 24 points.

All three led the team’s comeback effort, as the Wolverines found themselves trailing by double digits entering the fourth quarter.  Friday night marked its’ fourth comeback victory of the season, and the biggest one so far, standing within arm’s reach of elimination.

After winning their first two playoff games in very contrasting styles – overwhelming Costa Mesa by 15 points in round one – the Wolverines will move on to CIF quarterfinals Feb. 25, and stand three wins away from clinching their 10th CIF Championship.