Edison stops Marina

In a fast-paced game on the opening night of the Sunset League boys’ basketball race Friday, Edison was hard-pressed by Marina but was able to come away with an 85-82 victory over the host Vikings.

Coach Rich Boyce went to his bench more than usual because of the game’s pace but said his team “played well and contributed. It was a very good team win.”

Edison’s three key players, Kyle Boswell, Eric Ferraro and Carl Eberts, combined for 70 of the 85 points, scoring 24, 23 and 23, respectively.

Marina’s Dion Douglas led all scorers with 29 points and also had five assists.

Also for the Vikings, Brendan Holmes hit a game-high five, three-point baskets to finish with 21 points and Garrett James scored 15 points.

  In girls’ basketball

Marina rallied from 13 points down at the start of the fourth quarter and went on to upend the host Chargers, 53-51, in overtime in the Sunset League opener for both schools Jan. 3.

Rita Sitivi scored a game-high 15 points, and Michelle Lewis came on strong in the fourth quarter to finish with 11 points.

Kelly Peterson scored 14 points and Mary Madden 12 for Edison.

In holiday boys’ hoops action

Huntington came up with an impressive, undefeated four-game run at Kona, Hawaii, to win a Spalding Invitational tournament that also included Ocean View.

The Oilers defeated a trio of Arizona schools to begin the tournament, winning over Sabino (57-45), Thunderbird (60-56), the 25th-ranked team in Arizona, and the state’s fourth-ranked team, Salpointe Catholic (81-75). In the tournament final, Huntington lost an eight-point lead in the final 47 seconds of regulation play against Long Beach Wilson but regrouped in overtime to come away with a 69-64 triumph.

Keying the title run were Nick Becker, Trevor Carroll and Zach Kimber, Oilers Coach Fabian Luna said.

“The experience was great, and we did some great bonding as a group heading into league,” Luna said. “We have done these types of trips to build team unity, and it has really paid off.”

The Oilers took a 13-2 record into their Sea View League opener Wednesday at Northwood (the score wasn’t available at press time). They host Trabuco Hills Friday and then host El Toro in a key league showdown Wednesday.

Ocean View went 3-1 at the tournament, losing only to Salpointe Catholic. Ocean View co-head coach Jimmy Harris said Salpointe was ranked No. 1 in Arizona when the Seahawks played them.

“We have one bad half of basketball, and it came in that game,” he said. “We trailed by 24 points but ended up coming back only to lose by eight.

“It was a great experience. The kids had a lot of fun, and the bonding was exceptional.”

Ocean View was 10-4 overall heading into its Golden West League opener Wednesday at Santa Ana.

Marina tuned up for Sunset League play by finishing in third-place at the KSA played at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The Vikings went 3-1 in the tournament, defeating Whitesboro of New York, 102-54, Dirigo of Maine, 90-71 and Portsmouth of Rhode Island, 97-74. Their lone loss was a 74-64 setback to Steel Valley of Pennsylvania.

In the 97-74 rout of Portsmouth, which was Marina’s final game of the tournament, Garrett James nailed 10 three-point baskets to finish with 40 points. Brendan Holmes connected on eight three-pointers and had 27 points. Dion Douglas scored nine points and had six assists, Tyler James had 10 assists and Jimmy Irvin had six rebounds and four steals.

Marina has won six of its past seven games as it heads into league play.

The Vikings took a three-game win streak to Florida after grinding out a 69-66 road win at South Torrance, rolling past Beckman, 75-54, and by defeating Northwood 90-56 at the North-South Challenge at El Toro High.

In the win over South Torrance, Steven Murray hit two free throws with just less than a minute to play to give Marina the lead. Holmes canned seven three-pointers and was nine for nine from the foul line en route to a game-high 32 points. Garrett James had 20 points and five steals, Brian Roberts had seven rebounds, and Tyler James had seven assists. In the 21-point home win over Beckman, Holmes had 23 points, Garrett James 13 points, Trevor West seven rebounds and four points, Murray had seven rebounds, Andrew Moore six rebounds and five steals, and Dana Gomez six points and 10 rebounds.

In the 34-point conquest of Northwood, the Vikings connected on 19 three-point baskets, with Holmes hitting 10 of them to finish with 30 points. Garrett James had 24 points, Irvin had nine steals and five assists, Tyler James seven assists and five rebounds, and West had four points and eight rebounds.

In girls’ holiday hoops action

Huntington earned the championship of the San Marcos Tournament in San Diego by defeating Saugus, 57-51, in the final. Jasmine Erving scored 18 points to go along with 13 rebounds, and Noelani Viloria contributed 19 points in the title-clinching win.

Huntington reached the finals by surviving a tough Central Hardin team from Kentucky in the semifinal round, winning 55-50. The Oilers, who won despite Erving picking up three quick fouls in the game, got 26 points from Viloria and a key performance from Sarah Hoagland who scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Viloria was named the tournament’s MVP and Erving made the all-tournament team.

”With all the challenges and injuries to this team, I am very proud to see how the girls have maintained their composure through adversity,” Oilers Coach Russell McClurg said. “This year’s team lives by the philosophy that it is better to build each other up and trust in each other’s abilities.

“I am very thankful to be around such great young ladies, and we will continue to work hard on and off the court.”