Local hoopsters continue CIF playoff action

Mike Sciacca

The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams at Ocean View High moved on to

the third round of the CIF Southern Section Division III-AA

basketball playoffs, but the boys team fell to Servite, 78-71.

The host Seahawks, who were the No. 2 seed in Division III-AA, led

throughout much of their quarterfinal game, but the Friars staged a

fourth quarter comeback to pull off the upset.

Ocean View led, 37-30, at the half, and was up by one heading into

the fourth quarter, but was outscored by the Friars, 24-16, in the

final eight minutes.

Servite hit 10 three-point shots in the game

In their final games for Ocean View, seniors Matt Sargeant scored

22 points, Greg Okwudibonye scored 20 and Bear Wurts had 14 points.

The loss snapped a win streak at seven games for Ocean View, which

ended its season with a 22-7.

In the second round Saturday, the team was a 72-65 winner over

visiting Alemany.

Okwudibonye hit four three-point baskets en route to a game-high

25 points. Wurts finished with 13 points and Sargeant had 11 points.

The Ocean View girls won their second playoff game Saturday by

downing visiting Ramona, 59-47.

The Seahawks trailed by one point after three quarters but went on

to outscore Ramona, 22-9, in the final quarter.

D.J. Butler’s 20 points led all scorers. Erica Williams, who hit

three three-point baskets, scored 13 points and Leila Abufarie scored

12.

It was the second consecutive playoff game where Ocean View had to

come from behind to win.

In its opener against visiting John Glenn, Ocean View trailed the

Eagles, 33-32, after three quarters, but rallied to win, 44-38.

Williams led Ocean View with 14 points and Butler had 11 points.

The two wins advanced the Seahawks to Wednesday’s quarterfinal

round, where they will travel to face Diamond Ranch.

In other CIF girls’ basketball action, Sunset League co-champion

Edison opened play in the Division II-AA with a 42-31 first-round

home victory over Pasadena.

Rebecca Kepilino hit four three-point baskets and led all scorers

with 25 points.

Valerie Katayama added 11 points for the Chargers, who faced

Perris Wednesday in a second-round game.

Pasadena (15-12) was the third-place entry from the Pacific

League.

Marina, the third-place team from the Sunset League, had its

season come to an end in a 49-35 road loss to Pacific View League

champion Oxnard.

In other CIF boys’ basketball action, Marina eliminated host West

Covina, 83-68, in a first-round Division I-A game.

James Lambert poured in 30 points, Matt Brennan had 26 points and

Stephen Becker had 10 points and 18 assists to lead the Vikings, who

played host to El Toro Tuesday.

Edison defeated host Newport Harbor, 61-47, and Huntington Beach

lost at La Mirada, 62-44, in a pair of Division II-AA wildcard games.

Edison overcame a five-point first quarter deficit by outscoring

Newport, 21-6, in the second quarter to forge a 31-21 halftime lead.

The Chargers then held the Sailors at bay in the second half.

Ten Chargers got into the scoring act, led by Kevin Reed’s 15

points.

Alex Wright added nine points and Josh Gage had eight more for

Edison, whose season came to an end two nights later in a 50-48 loss

to Tesoro.

Wright and Gage led the Chargers in defeat with 14 and 12 points,

respectively.

Huntington led La Mirada by a point after the first quarter and

trailed by just three at the half, but the host Matadors outscored

the Oilers, 39-24, in the second half, to pull away.

In his final game for Huntington, Brandon McLaughlin scored a

team-best 12 points.

Matt Buckalew scored 10 points for the Oilers.

In CIF boys’ soccer, Edison’s Jarred Balbas scored the match’s

lone goal as the Chargers survived visiting Bishop Montgomery, 1-0,

in a Division I opener.

Ocean View fell at La Mirada, 1-0, in a Division III first-round

matchup.

In CIF girls’ soccer, Edison shaded visiting Long Beach Millikan,

3-2, in a first-round Division I game.

Amanda Draeger scored the winning goal late in the match and

Brianne Wahrenbrock and Christina Crawford scored earlier goals for

the Chargers, who advanced to play Los Osos Wednesday.

In another Division I match, Aliso Niguel used a late goal to get

past Huntington Beach, 2-1. Emma Lowerison scored for the Oilers.

In Division III play, Ocean View fell to La Mirada, 3-1.

In girls’ water polo, Huntington Beach fell to host Long Beach

Wilson, 14-6, in a Division I first-round game.

Kristina Cyr, Shannon Hybl and Rebecca Gearty each scored two

goals to lead the Oilers, who ended their season at 16-12.