Foul Experience Turns Into Harvard-Westlake Victory

STUDIO CITY —  It’s a good thing Harvard-Westlake High basketball players shoot free throws better than Shaquille O’Neal, considering how many times the officials blew their whistles Monday night in a ragged season opener against Campbell Hall.

The two teams combined for 47 fouls, but Harvard-Westlake made 28 of 34 free throws to come away with a 76-66 victory.

Even more surprising was that the Wolverines triumphed despite a two-for-13 shooting performance by returning All-Valley guard Russell Lakey.

Eric Geffner, a 6-foot-5 senior, contributed 20 points and nine rebounds, sophomore guard Craig Weinstein scored 16 points and senior guard John Karavas, who didn’t play last season, made four three-pointers en route to a 13-point effort.

Lakey didn’t disappear from the game, though. In the fourth quarter, he repeatedly drew fouls while controlling the ball and ended up making 10 of 13 free throws in the final eight minutes to finish with 16 points.

“I thought we did a real good job defending [Lakey], but when you foul and let him go to the line, it goes to waste,” Coach Brian Haloossim of Campbell Hall said.

It was a lost opportunity for a Campbell Hall team that hopes to contend for a Division V-AA title.

The Vikings stopped setting screens in the second half and failed to take advantage of Lakey’s cold shooting. They were outscored, 28-10, from the free-throw line.

Campbell Hall did show off two tough, durable senior players in guard Hassan Bassiri, who scored 26 points, and 6-8 center Jesse Foster, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

“These guys know they could have won tonight,” Haloossim said. “It bothers me we didn’t execute.”

Campbell Hall scored the game’s first 11 points, then Harvard-Westlake scored the next 11.

From there, it was back and forth, with the Vikings leading most of the way until the fourth quarter, when Harvard-Westlake converted 16 of 20 free throws.

Bassiri and Geffner, two lifelong friends, engaged in a tense individual duel.

“Hassan was unbelievable in the fourth quarter,” Geffner said.

Karavas, who quit the team last season to concentrate on baseball, gave the Wolverines a huge boost with his three-pointers.

Harvard-Westlake students were chanting, “Comeback Kid.”

“I’ve been playing since I was a kid,” Karavas said. “I realized it was part of my life and I couldn’t stay away.”