Taft Wins In Royal Style, 40-36

Darryl Harris scored 14 points to lift Taft High to a 40-36 victory over Royal on Saturday night in the championship game of the Westlake tournament.

The Toreadors (5-2) took the lead for good, 37-36, with 29 seconds left on a three-point play by Harris, a 6-foot-2 senior forward.

Sam Shokati added two free throws with five seconds left and Farzad Heidari made another with one second left.

“Any coach would love to have a whole team of [players like] Darryl,” Taft Coach Mark Drucker said.

Amir Bar-Netzer added 10 points for Taft.

Ryan Denihan had 14 points for Royal (5-3), which played without Ryan Nielsen, last season’s Marmonte League player of the year, who was at Arizona State on a football recruiting trip.

Nick Flanagan had nine points and 10 rebounds for the Highlanders.

In other games:

Saugus 48, Hollywood 46--Major Sherrard’s three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Centurions (3-4) third place. Sherrard had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Vahe Melikyan scored 25 points for the Sheiks (3-3).

Rialto 55, Kennedy 53--Rialto outscored the Golden Cougars, 23-8, in the fourth quarter of the consolation final.

Senior guard Michael Calloway had 21 points for Kennedy (2-3) and Waking Bailey added 15.

Westlake 64, Alemany 39--Joey Cuppari scored 20 points for the Warriors (5-2) in the seventh-place game.

Jesus Castillon and Ivan Gonzalez each had 13 points for Alemany (1-6).

Van Nuys 55, Rubidoux 53--Isaiah Thomas scored 13 points to help the Wolves (2-3) finish 11th.

Cente Robinson scored 12 points for Rubidoux (2-5).