Ocean View Gains Section Final Berth

HUNTINGTON BEACH —  Ocean View withstood an acrobatic 38-point performance from Pomona guard Jerry Green to reach its first Southern Section boys’ basketball final since 1985 with a convincing 71-58 victory Friday night at Marina High in the Division III-AA semifinals.

Ocean View will meet Barstow in the finals at 1 p.m. next Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

Green scored on runners in the lane, double-clutch jumpers with two defenders hanging on him, pull-up jumpers and hanging layups.

But Green was no match for Ocean View’s swarming defense, fierce rebounding and solid perimeter shooting. The top-seeded Seahawks were led by point guard Tony Dow’s 21 points, reserve Garid Beeler’s 18 and center Kevin Hanson’s 10 and they annihilated Pomona on the glass, 37-20.

Ocean View led 12-10 late in the first quarter, then blitzed Pomona with a 22-4 run that was keyed by steals that led to easy layups and hustle rebounds that gave the Seahawks second and third chances at the basket.

“That’s our game, to disrupt the other team’s game,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said.

Though Harris admitted his team did little to disrupt Green, a 6-foot-4 junior who averages 29 points.

“We had a terrible time trying to contain No. 5 [Green],” Harris said. “He’s tough. He got a little tired finally.”

If he did, he didn’t show it. Green scored 17 points in the first half and 21 in the second.

“We knew he was the show,” Dow said. “He’s really good.”

Green’s layup with with six minutes left capped an 8-0 run that cut the lead to 57-49. But a 7-2 run keyed by a Beeler three-pointer put away Pomona (21-7).

Unseeded Pomona had a 6-foot-9 center, Shomari Sarpy, who averages 11 points and 10 rebounds. But Sarpy was badly outplayed by the 6-foot-10 Hanson, who outscored Sarpy 10 to four and outrebounded him six to three.

Pomona began the game in a loose zone that Ocean View easily carved up by swinging the ball around the perimeter or by driving into the lane and passing the ball outside for wide-open, three-pointers.

Beeler hit four three-pointers, two in each half. Jason Martini, a reserve, sparked the Seahawks with four points, four rebounds and three steals in the first half.

“My best two shooters, Martini and Beeler, come off the bench,” Harris said. “That’s what kind of team we have. They don’t know it yet, but they made first team all-league and they don’t even start.”