Ocean View passes test

SANTA ANA — The defense took over, which in turn led to the offense taking over.

It sounds like a simple formula, but it’s one that’s worked for the Ocean View High boys’ basketball team. The fans saw the consecutive dunks Monday night by seniors Avery Johnson and Anthony Brown, helping the Seahawks pull away in the third quarter against Golden West League foe Segerstrom.

But Coach Jim Harris also saw the steals that led to those opportunities as the Seahawks got the key win, 78-62.

“The defense took over, and [Anthony and Avery] finished,” Harris said. “We get a lot of our offense off our defense, and that’s when we get those runs and spurts that are usually hard to answer. But [Segerstrom] is a tough team. They put us into some tough situations.”

Ocean View (17-3, 5-0 in league) handed Segerstrom (15-4, 4-1), coached by former Seahawks assistant Adrian Gomez, its first league loss. The Jaguars are the Seahawks’ main threat to the league title. The teams play again Friday night at Ocean View.

Johnson and Brown each scored six points in a 12-0 run Monday to open the third quarter for Ocean View, the defending league and CIF champions now ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division III-AA coaches’ poll. The points helped the Seahawks extend a nine-point halftime lead to 55-34 midway through the quarter.

Johnson had a game-high 18 points and Brown added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Yet the scoring was balanced in the first half. Senior center Ryan Okwudibonye (10 first-half points) and senior guard Aaron Delgado (nine) were Ocean View’s first-half scoring leaders.

“I did what I had to do,” said Okwudibonye, who finished with 14 points and 10 boards. “I felt like everyone was on the same page.”

Delgado had 10 points and so did junior guard Billy Keller, who hit all eight of his free throws.

Segerstrom’s Derrick Landrum also had 18 points, but the Jaguars didn’t really have an answer for Ocean View’s high-powered attack in the second half. Segerstrom is ranked No. 11 in Division II-AA.

“We knew we had to step it up,” Delgado said. “This wasn’t just a regular league game that we usually have.”

Besides the rematch against Segerstrom, Ocean View has few tests left before the CIF playoffs. One will come Feb. 6 when the Seahawks play Orange Lutheran at 4:30 p.m. in the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei.

Orange Lutheran is ranked No. 2 in Division IV-A.

In other boys’ basketball action:

Edison 47, Newport Harbor 32: Dylan Garrity scored 14 and Ryan Walker added 12 for the Chargers in their Sunset League win Friday. Edison (18-3, 3-2 in league) is ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA poll.

Fountain Valley 49, Esperanza 47: Nam Pham scored 14 and Robbie Daquilla added eight as the Barons (1-4 in league) got their first Sunset League win of the year Friday.

Foothill 39, Huntington Beach 36: Jordan Reise scored 12 on Friday night but the Oilers dropped to 7-10, 2-3 in league.

Brethren Christian 64, Whitney 40: Senior Austin Loeb had 19 points and 12 rebounds as the Warriors, tied for second in the Division V-A poll, stayed undefeated in the Academy League on Friday. Brethren Christian is 16-4, 4-0.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Edison 4, Fountain Valley 0: Edison, ranked No. 6 in Division I, stayed unbeaten in the Sunset League with Monday’s victory. Mitch Alvarez, Kyle Ball, Adam Black and Tyler Smith all scored for the Chargers (16-3-2, 6-0).

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Ocean View 2, Saddleback 0: Mikhaila Bowden and Kara Pedersen each scored for the Seahawks (9-5-2, 3-0-1) in Tuesday’s Golden West League win. Ocean View remains tied for the league lead with Segerstrom.

Edison 2, Fountain Valley 0: Brianna Webster and Angelisa Cortez each scored first-half goals for the Chargers in Monday’s Sunset League win. Edison improved to 8-4-3, 2-2 in league.

Marina 3, Newport Harbor 2: The Vikings (4-6-2, 2-2 in league) scored in the second overtime for the Sunset League win Monday.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Edison 72, Newport Harbor 38: Freshman guard Karlie Samuelson scored 22, and junior sister Bonnie Samuelson scored 13 to lift the Chargers in Monday night’s Sunset League game. Lauren Grego and Christina Marquette each scored 12 for Edison (15-4, 5-0 in league).

Huntington Beach 74, Foothill 62: Senior Meghan White had 24 points and 21 rebounds as the Oilers took over sole possession of second place in the Sea View League with Friday night’s win.

Ocean View 48, Orange 46: Hannah Ferguson scored 28, and Kelli Berry had 12, as the Seahawks took sole possession of second place in the Golden West League with Thursday night’s win.