Boys’ 2-A Semifinal : Oceanside Makes It a Crosstown Finale

For the last three seasons, the Oceanside High School boys’ basketball team has made the big plays when it counted most.

The two-time defending San Diego Section 2-A champion Pirates did it again Saturday night to defeat Castle Park, 45-39, and advance to next Saturday’s 2-A championship game against crosstown rival El Camino.

Oceanside, which trailed, 37-36, with 2:36 remaining against the Trojans, has habitually made plays like these:

--Forward Mike Owens hit an off-balance bank shot to give the Pirates the lead, 38-37.

--Junior Seau’s interception kept the Pirates ahead.

--Then, Owens, with his team ahead, 40-39, and only 28 seconds remaining, banked in a free throw off the backboard. Two more free throws by Sai Niu and a layin at the buzzer by Owens accounted for the final margin.

“We’ve all talked about it before,” Oceanside Coach Bill Christopher said. “We play a very patient game and we’re used to playing these close ones. I think that made the difference.”

That, and a tremendous effort by Seau, who scored a game-high 17 points. Seau scored nine of his points in the first quarter to help the Pirates take an early 15-12 lead.

Oceanside started the second quarter with an 8-2 run, a rebound basket by Okland Salavea finishing the spurt and helping the Pirates to a 27-18 halftime lead.

“They are used to playing games under 40 points and we certainly aren’t,” Castle Park Coach Forest Partch said. “I felt it would be a game of tempo and theirs proved to be better.”

The Trojans finally got the tempo their way late in the third quarter, however, when a trapping zone press created several turnovers.

Javier Nunez, who led Castle Park with 16 points, hit a jumper with six minutes left that ended an 18-5 run and gave the Metro-South Bay League champions a 36-34 lead.

Down the stretch, however, Oceanside prevailed again.

“Our game is real controlled and it makes it tough on both teams,” Christopher said. “When we got back ahead by two points, I felt pretty good. Actually, a six-point win is like a blowout for us.”