A week and a half after losing in the City Section Division I championship basketball game, Westchester has regained its swagger and shooting touch, moving to within one victory of reaching the state championship game in Sacramento.

With Elijah Stewart scoring 30 points and the Comets making 10 three-pointers, Westchester knocked off host Redondo, 76-67, on Tuesday night in a semifinal game of the Southern California Regional Open Division playoffs.

The Comets (30-6) will play Santa Ana Mater Dei on Saturday at 8 p.m. in a regional final at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.

Mater Dei defeated Etiwanda, 67-64, in double overtime.

There were no guarantees when the regional playoffs began that Westchester would be able to move forward after its disappointing 58-56 loss to Woodland Hills El Camino Real on March 8.

"You can't dwell on it," Coach Ed Azzam said. "Our practices the week after were not good. They're kids. They're resilient. We're capable of beating anybody and losing to anybody."

Against Redondo, the Comets made nine three-pointers in the first half

to open a 16-point halftime lead. They outscored Redondo 25-9 in the second quarter. Stewart, who

has signed with Loyola Marymount, made four threes.

Redondo (25-6) closed to within seven points in the third quarter, but Westchester built the lead back to 20 points in the fourth.

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Westchester is back on course, beats Redondo, 76-67