5-A PREP BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Rice, Ocean View Come Up Just Short Against Lakewood

Craig Rice made the long ones look easy, but couldn’t make a relatively short one Thursday night.

Rice made three three-point shots in the final two minutes of regulation to rally Ocean View High School from a seven-point deficit in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 5-A boys’ basketball playoffs.

But he missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity with five seconds left in regulation, and Lakewood later held on for a 63-62 overtime victory at Millikan High in Long Beach.

Rice, who had hit nothing but net on his three-pointers, was fouled while driving to the basket with the score tied, 54-54. Rice, the Seahawks’ 6-foot 2-inch senior guard, took two quick bounces, hesitated a moment then shot just a little too long.

Lakewood grabbed the rebound but could not get off a shot before the buzzer sounded.

Lakewood made 5 of 6 free throws in overtime to clinch the victory. Lakewood (19-9) advances to Tuesday’s semifinals against Bishop Amat, a 101-76 winner over Long Beach Jordan Thursday.

Ocean View finishes its season 16-8.

Except for Rice’s outside shooting--he finished with five three-pointers and 17 points--there was not one dominating player in Thursday’s game.

The closest thing to a star was Elijah Anderson, Lakewood’s 5-10 point guard. Anderson, a senior, had 16 points to lead the Lancers. He controlled the offense with an array of spinning moves to the basket.

“That kid is nails,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said of Anderson.

Brian Camper, who averages 17 points a game, had just 10 and was in foul trouble in the second half.

Tim Sweeney, Lakewood coach, was asked if Anderson’s shooting caught Ocean View off guard.

“Probably,” Sweeney said. “(But) we knew he has the ability to do this.”

What Sweeney hadn’t counted on was Rice’s three-point bombs.

Trailing, 50-45, with 2:40 left, Ocean View’s Todd Norman made one of two free throws. Norman, a 6-6 junior center, led the Seahawks with 24 points.

After Lakewood’s Andre Miller countered with two free throws to extend the Lancer lead to 52-45, the largest of the game, Rice got hot.

His first three-pointer came with 2:03 to play and cut the lead to 52-48. Brian Camper missed the front end of a one-and-one at the other end. Rice hit again from long range to cut the lead to 52-51 with 1:13 left.

Anderson made two free throws with 52 seconds left to make it 54-51.

Then came the big one.

With 45 seconds remaining, Rice hit a three-pointer from 22 feet on the left wing to tie the score at 54-54. After Rice pounced on a loose ball and was tied up by Brian Camper, Ocean View called timeout with 26 seconds left and possession of the ball.

Rice got the ball on the left wing again, but this time, instead of putting up another long jumper, he drove toward an opening in the Lakewood defense. Miller intercepted him and was called for a reach-in foul with five seconds to go.

“I thought we were in real deep trouble,” Sweeney said. “I figured it was like money in the bank. But (Rice) showed he was human.”

Once in overtime, Lakewood won the tap and worked the ball down low to Vincent Camper, who scored, giving Lakewood a 56-54 lead.

With 1:56 left in overtime, Anderson drove and was fouled by Norman, his fifth.

Anderson sank both free throws and Ocean View was forced to play catch-up the rest of the way.