Celtics win; improve to 8-0

Josh O’Brien’s basket in overtime proved to be the difference in a

tense match that saw the Celtics pull out a 34-33 victory over Team 3

in a National Junior Basketball boys’ contest played Sunday.

Team 3 had grabbed a 33-31 lead in the extra session of the

Huntington Beach South Division I game before the Celtics’ Kirk

Hodgman hit a free throw and O’Brien’s hit the game’s final basket.

Reaching overtime seemed a bleak prospect when the Celtics

trailed, 23-18. But a late comeback was capped when Jimmy Keating

nailed a three-point shot to tie the score, 31-31, at the end of regulation.

O’Brien and Keating each finished with 10 points, Jared Gaeta

scored five and Hodgman had four points.

The play of James Hensley, Aaron Class, Jacob Jaffe, Tommy Swan

and Kyle Campana contributed to the Celtics’ victory.