Westlake Beats Path to Playoffs With 80-64 Win

The question made Westlake High basketball Coach Roy Gilmore sigh, fidget, then laugh.

He didn’t know how to act.

“Let’s just say I hope so,” Gilmore said when asked if his team’s impressive 80-64 win over Newbury Park on Wednesday night was a return to form.

“I thought we played pretty decent. We rebounded well. We ran the ball up and down the court. It was nice.” It was timely, too.

Westlake (16-7 overall, 7-4 in the MarmonteLeague), which has played on-and-off basketball during the league season, qualified for the playoffs. Westlake will represent the Marmonte as the second-place team with a win tonight against Camarillo. An upset loss would make the Warriors the third-place playoff representative behind Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, respectively.

“I’m just glad we’re in,” Gilmore said.

Wednesday night, the Warriors secured a berth by out-rebounding Newbury Park, 58-29, and executing a fast break.

Westlake broke away after two minutes had elapsed in the game, outscoring Newbury Park, 8-3, to take an 18-13 lead after the first quarter.

After the Panthers closed the gap to 20-17, the Warriors went on a 10-5 scoring spree en route to a 40-27 halftime lead.

Westlake never allowed Newbury Park back into the game, leading by as many as 26 points in the second half as it duplicated its first-half point total.

Eight Westlake players scored at least one point, and five reached double figures. Guard Rick Welch, who scored a game-high 16, tied a school record with 15 assists.

Newbury Park, led by Dan Ryan’s 14 second-half points, finished the season 8-15, 3-9.

NEWBURY PARK--Cook 11, Doyle 11, Pessin 8, Royalty 3, Harrick 8, Ryan 14, Lyles 3, Hammer 2, Jeffers 2, Ludlow 2.

WESTLAKE--Logan 13, Henderson 8, Heckmann 8, Welch 16, Cangelosi 12, Keenan 12, Fassl 10, Peterson 1.