Southern Section Girls’ 5-A Basketball Playoffs : Ocean View Beats Capistrano Valley at the Line, 45-38

Saturday night’s girls’ basketball game between Ocean View and Capistrano Valley high schools came down to free throws.

Ocean View made them and Capistrano Valley missed them. Therefore Ocean View was able to gain a 45-38 victory in the second round of the Southern Section 5-A playoffs at Ocean View.

Ocean View made 15 of 31 free throws, including five of nine in the fourth quarter. Capistrano Valley made only two of 13 and was zero of nine at one point.

The Seahawks held a 40-37 lead with 1 minute 10 seconds left in the game when they got a big break that broke the game open.

Capistrano Valley’s Bridget Baker fouled Alli Takido of Ocean View. It was Baker’s fifth foul and, in frustration, she kicked the ball, which hit the nearby official in the shins. The kick earned her a technical foul.

Takido made both ends of the one-and-one, then Cosett Smith made both technical free throws to give Ocean View a 44-37 lead.

Ocean View, which was making its first playoff appearance in four seasons, advances to play Ontario in the quarterfinals Thursday. Ocean View (24-3) had a bye in the first round. Capistrano Valley finishes its season 19-8.

The Seahawks came out jittery in the first half and trailed by as many as 10 points before finally settling down just before halftime.

“It’s just a little hard to explain,” Ocean View Coach Ollie Martin said. “We were a little on the anxious side.”

Ocean View had trouble guarding Capistrano Valley center Holly Anderson in the first half and trailed, 20-10, midway through the second quarter. Anderson had 10 points at that point and had an easy time against Heidi Hasemann of Ocean View, who had been trying to guard her.

But Martin made a defensive switch, putting 6-foot-2 center Jenny Sullivan on the 6-1 Anderson. The moved slowed Anderson, who still finished with a game-high 16 points.

“I felt if we could pressure them defensively and get them to fast break with us then we could keep Holly out of it,” Martin said.

Ocean View also started getting its offense, which had been dreadful up to then, going. The Seahawks scored the last eight points of the half and trailed by just 20-18. Sullivan hustled on the break to get two baskets keying the spurt.

A short jumper by Sullivan pulled Ocean View even, 24-24, with 5:53 left in the third quarter. The Seahawks took the lead for good, 29-28, on a follow shot by Tracey Wolfe.

Capistrano Valley got as close as 34-33 in the fourth quarter, but Ocean View, thanks to Hasemann and Sullivan, managed to stay ahead. Hasemann had 14 points and Sullivan 12 to lead Ocean View.