Boys’ basketball: Harris, Ocean View bound for Sacramento
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Six hundred and eighteen wins later, Jim Harris is headed to Sacramento.
The longtime Ocean View coach’s team will play for a state title next weekend after his second-seeded Seahawks defeated top-seeded Harvard Westlake, 79-63, this afternoon in the Southern California Division III regional championship at Pauley Pavilion.
Harris, who is in his 31st year with the Seahawks, had never advanced beyond a regional semifinal before this season.
‘I’m on a great ride with these young men and we’re enjoying the heck out it,’ said Harris, who tied former Katella Coach Tom Danley for the third-most victories in Orange County history. ‘Doing this is pretty special.’
Senior guard Mason Jones, the younger brother of former Oregon State forward Marcel Jones, scored 22 points on eight-for-12 shooting for Ocean View (27-7), which built an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter and led by as many as 21 points in the second half. Junior guard Anthony Brown had 19 points for the Seahawks, who made 10 of 18 three-pointers (55.6%) and shot 51.9% overall.
Junior guard Austin Kelly scored 16 points and sophomore forward Damiene Cain had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Harvard-Westlake (28-7), which committed 13 of its 18 turnovers in the first half.
Ocean View will play Sacred Heart Cathedral (24-4), a 77-65 winner over Sacramento in the Northern California regional championship, next Saturday afternoon for the state Division III title at Arco Arena.
--Ben Bolch