Boys’ basketball: Westchester bounces back from Fairfax loss

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Suddenly, that loss to Fairfax doesn’t hurt quite so much.

Westchester bounced back from a defeat against its Western League rival less than 24 hours earlier, defeating short-handed Seattle Rainier Beach, 75-65, this afternoon in the Nike Extravaganza.

The Vikings were missing four players because of injuries, including Louisiana State-bound guard Aaron Dotson and another would-be starter.

Senior guard Dominique O’Connor scored 21 points and junior guard Jordin Mayes had 19 for the Comets (23-2), who pulled away by outscoring the Vikings (11-6), 19-8, in the second quarter. Westchester Coach Ed Azzam was pleased by how his team, which made 57.1% of its shots in the second half, performed with the quick turnaround.

‘It helps in the long run,’ Azzam said. ‘If we’re fortunate to get in the state playoffs, we’re playing Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It’s hard to come off a loss, but it’s a learning experience for these guys.’

--Ben Bolch