Boys’ basketball: Westchester wins Western showdown

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Je’Ron Primus scored 18 points, including four three-pointers, Matthew Grant had 12 points and James Brown III and Keywhon Powns each added 10 points as Westchester survived a late charge by visiting Palisades to win 64-61 and move into first place in the Western League.

Brown III scored on a putback layup with 32 seconds left to give the defending league champion Comets a 62-58 lead. Top scorer Donovan Johnson, who has signed with Cal State Northridge, was fouled driving to the rim on the Dolphins’ ensuing possession, but he missed both free throws.

Powns sank two foul shots to give Westchester (12-4 overall, 4-0 in league) a six-point lead with 19 seconds left. Palisades’ Tyler Hildreth hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to provide the final margin. Westchester was ahead 39-26 at halftime but had to hang on against a Dolphins squad that came in confident after upsetting Fairfax seven days earlier.

‘The fourth quarter was back and forth,’ Comets Coach Ed Azzam said. ‘We were having trouble scoring but we finally got in the 1-and-1 situation and made some free throws. The City [Section] is wide open and that’s a championship-caliber team. We held serve at home but nothing’s decided yet.’

Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, Hildreth had 13 points and Tyler Duke added 12 for Palisades (10-9, 4-1), which dropped into third place, half a game behind Fairfax.

Westchester hosts Fairfax (13-6, 5-1) next Wednesday in the first of two league meetings.

-- Steve Galluzzo