Marina boys’ basketball players take the long approach

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Keep shooting.

That’s the philosophy the Marina boys’ basketball team used to make headlines last winter. Now it’s drawing attention all over again. The Vikings set a state record with 29 three-pointers in Saturday’s 103-59 victory over Norwalk in a consolation game of the Beckman tournament. That broke their own record of 28 threes in a game, which they accomplished twice last year.

Marina’s 97 three-point attempts also broke the national single-game record of 94, set by Juniata Valley of Alexandria, Penn., in 1996-1997.

Sophomore Brendan Holmes led the way Saturday with 39 points on 13 three-pointers and junior guard Garrett James, pictured from a game last season, added 35 points, including nine three-pointers, as the Vikings (5-3) sank five threes in the first quarter, seven in the second, eight in the third and nine in the fourth.

Tyler James and Chad Lewis hit two threes and Dion Douglas, Ryan Lehane and Jimmy Irvin all made one to round out Marina’s long-range barrage.

Juniata Valley had held the record for most three-pointers in a season (making 382 in 1996-97) until Marina eclipsed that mark with 437 threes in 27 games last year, when it finished 16-11 and lost to Culver City in the Division I-A wildcard round.

Only time will tell if Marina breaks its own record but one thing’s for sure ... the Vikings will give it their best (long) shot.

-- Steve Galluzzo, guest blogger

-- Image by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times