Omar Wilkes scored 21 points to lead Loyola to a win Wednesday over Clovis at the Ocean View Tournament of Champions in Huntington Beach. The next evening Loyola defeated Verbum Dei by just two points (67-65) to advance to the semifinal game against Westchester, the defending state champions.
“It was ugly for Omar Friday night. He struggled the entire night against Westchester, scoring just six points in a 84-67 loss. Excellent defense by 6-4 sophomore Marcus Johnson was a big factor in Wilkes' woes,” said Frank Burlison of Fox Sports.
Unconfirmed reports indicate Wilkes was also battling illness in both games. The Westchester match up was the seventh game in nine days for the Cubs.
“UCLA recruit Trevor Ariza had 23 for Westchester. Loyola will play Villa Park in the third-place game Saturday. Villa Park is led by another UCLA recruit, Sean Phaler,” added Burlison.
Scott Cutley had 14 points for Westchester while Bobby Brown and Jonathan Toliver also had double digits. Chris Rucker scored 21 points for Loyola. Friday was Loyola’s first loss of the season, making the Cubs 6-1. The following night Loyola defeated Villa Park. Wilkes had 21 points and 10 boards.