Pacifica Christian opens season without two key transfers, loses to Huntington Beach

Pacifica Christian Orange County opened the season on Monday. Missing from the high school boys’ basketball team were two key 6-foot-7 transfers.

The Tritons could have used sophomore Judah Brown and junior Solomon Davis against Huntington Beach.

Without the two standouts, the Tritons lost to Huntington Beach 75-63 in their opening game in the Jim Harris Classic at Ocean View High.

Brown, a transfer from Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian Academy, and Davis, a transfer from Temecula Rancho Christian, enrolled at Pacifica Christian before the start of the school year in August, but on Oct. 12, the CIF Southern Section declared the two ineligible to play for the Tritons for violating Bylaw 510 of undue influence.

Pacifica Christian coach Jeff Berokoff is holding out hope that Brown and Davis, both 4.0 students, can play for him this season. Brown averaged 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game during Desert Christian Academy’s CIF Southern Section Division 5A championship run last season, while Davis averaged 16.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 2016-17.

“Judah and Solomon, as of now, have been deemed ineligible by [the CIF Southern Section] for the upcoming season due to a misinterpretation of … Bylaw 510,” Berokoff said in a text message. “Pacifica Christian has asked for an appeal regarding this decision and is meeting with a panel from the CIF State office to discuss [Brown and Davis’] case and the particulars of their individual stories.”

If the state denies their appeal, Brown and Davis would be eligible to play for the Tritons next season.

With Brown and Davis teaming up with star sophomore Dominick Harris, who has played with the two before on the same Dream Vision Amateur Athletic Union travel basketball team, Pacifica Christian had the lineup that could help it make a second straight section finals appearance.

Huntington Beach’s Cade Ortiz led the way against Pacifica Christian, which reached the Division 6 final in its varsity debut season in 2016-17.

Ortiz, one of two seniors on the team, made six three-pointers and finished with 30 points. The guard bolstered a key run in the third quarter, helping the Oilers take a 48-46 lead into the fourth.

“Cade is a senior leader and we need him to have big games for us,” Huntington Beach coach Billy Thompson said. “I think if you ask him he’d be the first to say he could’ve played better. He didn’t shoot the ball exceptionally well, but he plays hard and this was a good first game for him.”

The first quarter was a feeling out period, in which neither team took control. Pacifica Christian led 14-11 after the first quarter.

Huntington Beach found its offensive rhythm in the second quarter and outscored the Tritons 17-9. The Oilers used a 13-5 run, fueled by three-point shots from Ortiz and junior John Stenlund, to take a 28-23 lead and momentum into halftime.

Pacifica Christian, which had Primo Belfiore (16 points), Harris (15), Timmy Bahadoor (14) and Josh Sims (13) in double figures, responded in the second half. The Tritons scored seven straight points and took a 39-35 lead.

But Ortiz would take over. He scored the Oilers’ next 11 points, hitting three shots from beyond the arc, to regain the lead at 46-41.

The Tritons were able to tie the score at 49-49 in the fourth quarter, but costly turnovers and missed shots hurt them the rest of the way. The Oilers went on a 15-2 run to put the game away.

Pacifica Christian, which has an enrollment of around 150 students, impressed Thompson, whose team plays in the Sunset League.

“Credit to Pacifica Christian and [its] coaches. Those guys fought hard throughout the whole game and went on runs,” said Thompson, whose team resumes tournament play on Wednesday against Pomona Diamond Ranch, Pacifica Christian’s opponent on Tuesday. “I told our guys at the beginning of the game that there are certain things we have to do to stop teams on their runs and cut them short. Our team executed tonight and I’m proud of them, and hopefully that carries over to the next game.”

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Huntington Beach 75, Pacifica Christian 63

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Pacifica Christian 14 – 9 – 23 – 17 — 63

Huntington Beach 11 – 17 – 20 – 27 — 75

PC – Belfiore 16, Harris 15, Bahadoor 14, Sims 13, Griffith 5.

3-pt. goals – Belfiore 4, Harris 2, Bahadoor 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

HB – Ortiz 30, Stenlund 12, Peterson 11, Saccacio 9, Vis 9, Johnson 4.

3-pt. goals – Ortiz 6, Stenlund 2, Peterson 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ is a contributor to Times Community News: Follow him on Twitter: @JGonzalezSports