Sea View League : Woodbridge Back in the Race With 57-56 Win

Mike Murphy scored on a 15-foot jump shot with five seconds remaining to give Woodbridge High School a 57-56 win over Corona del Mar Friday night in Sea View League play.

Murphy was double-teamed on the play, but the 6-foot 3-inch senior connected to give the Warriors only their second win over Corona del Mar in the school’s history.

Woodbridge got its chance to win after the Sea Kings’ excellent shooting guard, Jeff Fryer, threw the ball out of bounds with 22 seconds remaining and his team holding a 56-55 lead.

Woodbridge (3-2 in league) called a timeout, and Woodbridge Coach Bill Shannon later said he instructed his team to get the ball either toforward Vince Bryan or center Adam Keefe. Instead, the ball went to Murphy, and he didn’t hesitate to shoot despite the defensive coverage.

Murphy’s bank shot with 41 seconds remaining had moved Woodbridge to within a point of the Sea Kings, 56-55, and Fryer’s turnover was the play the Warriors needed to beat the Sea Kings (4-1 in league).

Corona del Mar led most of the game. Woodbridge had four leads early in the first quarter, but Corona del Mar went ahead, 10-9, and didn’t trail again until Murphy’s final shot.

The Sea Kings, who lost their first league game, moved out to a 32-23 lead just before halftime as Fryer scored 22 of his game-high 34 points in the first half. He was 14 of 24 from the field, most of his shots coming from the 15- to 22-foot range.

“Jim Stephens was the only player who could compare with Fryer,” Jack Errion, Sea King coach said. “But he didn’t have the range or Fryer’s quickness.”

Stephens played for Errion at St. Anthony in 1956 and later coached at Marina High.

Woodbridge has won three consecutive games in the eight-team league after opening with losses at Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor.

Corona del Mar managed only eight points in the last quarter. Errion said his team’s inability to put the Warriors away after gaining a nine-point lead ultimately cost his team the game.

WOODBRIDGE (57)--Keefe 19, Townsend 7, Bryan 13, Murphy 14, Sullivan 4.

CORONA DEL MAR (56)--Fryer 34, Turner 4, Christiansen 2, Green 8,