SAN DIEGO SECTION BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : 2-A BOYS: Oceanside vs. El Camino

Site--Sports Arena.

Time--4:30 p.m.

Records--Oceanside 20-7; El Camino 23-3.

Last meeting--El Camino, 65-61 (February).

Oceanside outlook--The Pirates lost their first five games. However, that was before the football season ended and Junior Seau, Sai Nu and Morey Paul started playing basketball. Since then, Oceanside is 20-2, with two victories against El Camino. Seau, who finished second in San Diego County in scoring, had 28 points in a 66-62 semifinal victory over Castle Park, 24 in a 59-52 quarterfinal victory over Lincoln and 23 in a first-round 48-37 victory over University City. Oceanside is noted for its stingy defense and a ball-control offense.

El Camino outlook--Ray Johnson, in his seventh year as coach, didn’t expect to return to the championship. Johnson lost four starters from last season’s 2-A champion, which beat Oceanside in the final, 61-35. Point guard Edmond Johnson, the only returning starter, led the county in scoring. Lee Cobb had 39 points and Johnson 36 in the Wildcats’ 79-76 overtime quarterfinal victory over La Jolla. El Camino has 11 straight victories.

Key to the game--Oceanside, difficult to beat in a half-court game, wants to keep the score low. Edmond Johnson will try to control the tempo for El Camino, which prefers to run. In last season’s final, Seau got in foul trouble early. El Camino also can’t afford fouls because Johnson uses only five players.