Girls’ Basketball Roundup: Oilers back on top

The Huntington Beach High girls’ basketball team has returned to the top of the Sunset League.

The Oilers won the 2014 title, their second league crown in three years, Feb. 6 when they won, 66-63, at Marina. Tuesday at Elmer Combs Gymnasium, they took league win No. 9 by defeating visiting Edison, 66-52.

Huntington, ranked fourth in CIF Southern Section Division 1A, twice overcame early, seven-point deficits. The Oilers, 9-0 in league and 22-2 overall, had trailed, 23-20 but outscored Edison (13-9, 4-5 league), 22-4, over the final 6:43 of the first half, to open up a 42-27 halftime lead.

Senior guard Paola Roa, who sat out the Marina game due to a shoulder injury, hit three three-point shots and led all scorers with 24 points. Senior guard Stephanie Louie drilled five three-pointers and scored 21 points, and freshman forward Frankie Wade-Sanchez scored 10 points for the Oilers who, as a team, hit nine three-pointers.

Sophomore forward Justine Modde scored 15 points and sophomore point guard Jasmyn Winters had 10 points for Edison.

“It was a good team win, good in the fact that we got to play everybody,” said Coach Russ McClurg who won this third league title at Huntington.

The Oilers won their first league title under McClurg in 2007.

“Paola [Roa] did a real nice job in her return, and I was pleased with the way our defense settled down in the first half,” McClurg said. “I’m very happy. We’re fighting for a No. 1 [playoff] seed.”

•Marina scored a 64-31 Sunset League victory Tuesday on Senior Night over visiting Fountain Valley. Senior forward Natasha Mangham had 14 points and 16 rebounds, senior guard Danielle Kennedy 14 points, senior guard Madison Yutkins 13 points, and senior guard Melissa Lindquist seven points, five assists and steals for the Vikings (14-10, 5-4) who held sole possession of third place.

“This was our Senior Night, and the team was really excited to play in front of our home crowd,” Marina Coach Carol Osbrink said. “It was a total team effort and I am very proud their performance, especially our seniors.”

Senior post Emily Krause had nine points and senior post Christina Huynh had six points and played a “good game for us off the bench,” Fountain Valley Coach Cory Clarke said.

The Barons fell to 3-6 in league and 10-15 overall.

“We were outplayed and out-coached in every part of this game from the first possession,” Clarke said.

•In Golden West League play Tuesday, Ocean View grabbed a 41-38 home win over Westminster and handed the Lions their first league loss. Sophomore guard Sally Morris scored 11 points and junior guard Savanna Schroeder in points for the Seahawks (17-7, 7-2) who are ranked No. 12 in CIF Southern Section Division 3A.

“This game was less about beating Westminster and all about righting the ship after last week’s meltdown versus Segerstrom,” said Ocean View Coach Kim Morris whose squad had dropped a 53-36 league game to Segerstrom Feb. 6. “We had lost our way and played very selfishly and we needed to get back to who we really are, a team.”

Ocean View is in second place in the GWL standings heading into their league and regular-season finale at 7 p.m. Thursday at Orange. A win over the Panthers, combined with a Westminster (8-1) loss to Loara (3-6 league) Thursday, would give the Seahawks a share of the league title.

In Sunset games played Feb. 6, Huntington rallied to defeat Marina, 66-63, Edison held off Los Alamitos, 45-43, and Fountain Valley scored a 59-43 win over Newport Harbor.

Huntington overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to squeeze past Marina. Wade-Sanchez and Louie scored 19 and 18 points, apiece, and freshman forward Kaylyn Nakaji scored 12 points for the Oilers who secured the Sunset title when Edison won, 45-43, at Los Alamitos the same night.

Junior guard Kaitylyn Rodriguez scored nine points and five other Chargers scored five points each in their win over the Griffins (6-3 league).

Junior forward Megan Lewis hit three three-point shots and finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, junior forward Kydell Pearson had 11 points and four blocks, Mangham had 10 points and 12 rebounds, Kennedy scored 10 points with four assists, and Melissa Lindquist had three points and eight assists for the Vikings.

•Fountain Valley opened up a 16-point lead by halftime and went on to score a 59-43 win over visiting Newport Harbor. Junior guard Michelle Wu scored a game-high 16 points, sophomore post Mikaila Pacis had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Krause had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Barons.

Huntington attempted to complete a perfect league season Wednesday when it took on Los Alamitos. That score, and the Fountain Valley-Edison Sunset score from Wednesday, wasn’t available at press time.

The CIF Southern Section girls’ basketball playoff pairings will be released Sunday. Division wild-card games are Feb. 20, and first-round games start Feb. 22.

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CIF Weekly Rankings

Girls’ Basketball: Huntington Beach (No. 4, Division 1A); Ocean View (No. 12, Division 3A).