5-A PREP BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Ocean View Runs Past St. Paul, 91-88

Ocean View High School’s boys’ basketball team overcame both controversy and an opponent that averaged 30 points a game more than the Seahawks, beating St. Paul, 91-88, in the first round of the 5-A Division playoffs at Ocean View.

St. Paul, which averaged 93 points a game during the regular season, forced Ocean View to play its kind of basketball, a wild, running, gunning affair, that occasionally verged on the out of control.

But both teams got an unexpected rest after 27 minutes 26 seconds of track-meet style basketball. With 4:34 remaining, the game came to a screeching halt when play was stopped for several minutes while referees tried to sort out a call and confusion reigned.

There are differing versions about the sequence of events. But with his team trailing, 79-75, St. Paul’s Keith Quiroz scored a basket on an assist by John Guerrero. A whistle was blown as the basket was scored. The referees ruled that the basket counted and said the foul was on Ocean View’s Mike Frohn against Guerrero, who went to the foul line and successfully shot one free throw. The play pulled St. Paul within one point, 79-78, the closest the Swordsman had been in the fourth quarter.

But then the referees ruled they had made an error in allowing the basket to count and stopped the game. Three points were taken off St. Paul’s score. Guerrero was sent back to the foul line for a one-and-one and missed his first shot.

In the midst of the confusion, St. Paul Coach Mike Dinneen was given a technical foul and Mike Frohn made both shots. Play resumed with the score 81-75 in favor of Ocean View and with Dinneen protesting the game.

“I don’t feel we got a fair shake,” said Dinneen, who believes Frohn’s foul came after the basket and that both the basket and the free throw should have counted. The coach said he was only asking a question when the technical foul was assessed.

“It should have been one or the other, but he (Dinneen) wanted both,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said. “It was a correctable error and the referees corrected it.”

Though the ruling hurt them on the scoreboard, it only seemed to help the Swordsman on the floor. They stormed back to take the lead, 86-85, with 1:52 to play on two free throws by Guerrero. But two free throws by Frohn gave Ocean View an 89-88 lead.

With 10 seconds to play Guerrero, with Greg Evans in his face, missed a shot from the top of the key. Center Todd Norman’s fight for the rebound resulted in a jump-ball call, with possession going to Ocean View. Norman was immediately fouled and made both free throws to clinch the victory for Ocean View.

It was a fitting ending for Norman, who dominated the Seahawks’ offense, scoring 34 points. He was aggressive at both ends of the court, finishing with 12 rebounds. Frohn and Craig Rice scored 19 each for Ocean View and Evans finished with 15 points.

St. Paul was led by Greg Willig, who came off the bench to score 22 points for the Swordsmen before fouling out with six minutes to play. Guerrero, St. Paul’s effective point guard, scored 17 points. Quiroz finished with 15 points and Nathan Crawford added 12.

St. Paul finished the season 15-8. Ocean View (16-7) advances to the quarterfinals of the 5-A Division, where they will play Lakewood. Lakewood (18-9), the third-place team from the Moore League, upset Loyola, 69-68, Thursday.