De La Salle, Harvard-Westlake Advance to Hoophall West Championship Game

California boys basketball powers will battle of the tournament title on Saturday night, live on NBA TV

De La Salle's (California) Alec Blair (33) goes up for a shot during his team's 58-48 victory Chaminade (Missouri) in the semifinals of the 2024 Hoophall West Classic in Phoenix, Arizona on Jan. 3, 2025. / Hoophall Classic Instagram

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – It will be an All-California battle for the Hoophall West Championship Game as De La Salle will take on Harvard-Westlake on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be broadcasted LIVE on NBA TV.

In the first semifinal, De La Salle (California) (14-0) cruised to a 58-48 win over Chaminade (Missouri).

Oklahoma signee Alec Blair led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win for the Spartans, as well as senior center David Balogun finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Ibrahim Monawar added 14 points and four rebounds for the Spartans in the win as well.

Chaminade (Missouri) took a 15-14 lead after the opening quarter, before the Spartans took charge in the second quarter and took a 32-25 lead heading into the locker room. The Spartans maintained their advantage, leading 45-39 after three quarters.

The Spartans took care of Duncanville (Texas) 65-62 in their opening-round game at the Hoophall West where Blair finished with 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists in the win.

The Red Devils (6-3) were led by 6-3 junior point guard Jonny Jordan Jr. finished with a team-high 12 points on just 4-of-10 shooting from the field. Jacob Robinson and Jahidi White Jr. each finished with 9 points in the loss.

The Red Devils reached the Semifinals at the Hoophall West Classic after defeating Christ the King (New York) 58-40 where they were led by Jamison White finishing with a double-double (16 points and 16 rebounds).

In the second semifinal, Harvard-Westlake (California) held on for a 66-63 win over Gonzaga College Prep (Washington, D.C.)

Harvard-Westlake (17-1) was led by 6-3 junior guard Joe Sterling, finishing with a game-high 19 points and five rebounds in the win. Duke signee Nikolas Khamenia added 16 points, four rebounds, and two steals for the Wolverines in the win.

Harvard-Westlake reached the Hoophall West Classic semifinals following a 57-54 opening-round win over Perry (Arizona) on Thursday night.

Harvard-Westlake senior Nikolas Khamenia (4) protects his dribble against the defense of Gonzaga’s Saxton Smiley (1). / Hoophall Classic Instagram

Gonzaga was led by North Carolina signee Derek Dixon finishing with 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field. Xavier signee Nyk Lewis added 14 points and seven rebounds in the loss, while Virginia Tech signee Christian Gurdak added a double-double (10 points and 15 rebounds).

Gonzaga started the game on a 7-0 run before Harvard-Westlake erupted to take a 16-15 lead after the opening quarter. A back-and-forth defensive battle in the second quarter where the Eagles outscored the Wolverines 10-7 to take a 25-23 lead heading into halftime.

The Eagles didn’t flinch in the third quarter where they began the quarter on a 13-5 run to take a 38-29 midway through the frame. The Wolverines quickly responded by closing the quarter on a 13-5 run to take a 44-43 lead heading into the final quarter.

Sterling closed out the game by knocking down a pair of free throws down the stretch to push the Wolverines’ lead to 66-60 with six seconds remaining. Dixon knocked down a three-pointer on the break to reduce the deficit to 66-63 with two seconds left in regulation.

The Eagles (11-2) will play Chaminade (Missouri) in the Hoophall West Classic third-place game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be broadcasted on the NBA App.