By Jack Davis For the first time in four years, the varsity boysâ basketball team captured the glory of a CIF Championship, defeating Gahr High School 87-75 Saturday morning at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Gahr gave the Wolverines its first real test of the playoffs, as for the first time during their playoff run the Wolverines trailed past the midpoint mark of the third quarter. However guard Nate Bulluckâs â10 nine third quarter points kept the Wolverines in the ball game, as they went into the fourth quarter trailing Gahr 55-53. But the Wolverines were eventually able to wear Gahr out with their full court press and up tempo style of play, using a 31-17 fourth quarter run to put the Gladiators away. Crucial threes by guards Nicky Firestone â11 and Chris Barnum â10 helped give the Wolverines and edge, and guard Austin Kelly â10 and forward Erik Swoope â10 sunk their free throws down the stretch to put the game away. After the final buzzer sounded, the entire team stormed the court, mobbing each other at mid-court as Harvard-Westlake fans erupted in the stands. A brief championship ceremony followed, where Coach Greg Hilliard was awarded with a plaque commemorating the Wolverines as the CIF Southern Section Champions, and players wore awarded tee shirts and patches and took photos with school president Tom Hudnut. it was Hilliard’s eighth sectional victory in 24 years of coaching. Once the raucous celebration was over, the Wolverines headed to the locker room ecstatic about their enormous accomplishment, but refused to be satisfied with just a CIF Championship. âThis is the best feeling Iâve ever felt in my life,â said Bulluck, who suffered a dislocated jaw midway through the fourth, but couldnât, âthink about anything other than this championship.â âAll the work and energy we put in all year makes this so special,â Bulluck added. âHow can I possibly answer that question,â guard Chris Barnum said when asked what this accomplishment meant to him. âI canât even put this to words,â Swoope said. Swoope was able to dominate the weaker Gahr inside on his way to 16 points, including five dunks. âWe never lost faith in each other when the game was close, and we just put it away when it mattered,â Swoope said. âThis is a dream come true.â With the win the Wolverines now advance to State playoffs, with the first round taking place Tuesday in Taper Gymnasium. If the Wolverines win that game, they will play again in Taper Thursday night, then at UCLAâs Pauley Pavilion Saturday, then at the Sacramento Kingâs Arco Arena March 21st in what would be the State Championship. âWe just have to take what we learned in this game and apply it to Tuesdayâs game,â Swoope said. âWe got a lot more basketball to play.â
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Boys basketball win CIF championship
March 7, 2009
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