SUNSET GIRLS’ BASKETBALL LEAGUE : Sortino Finds Her Touch to Spark Marina Past Fountain Valley, 56-52

With Marina guard Melisa Sortino struggling and Fountain Valley guard Julie Workman owning the perimeter, the Barons looked as if they might edge Marina and move into a tie for second place in the Sunset League.

But in the fourth quarter, Marina’s defense kept the ball out of Workman’s hands and Sortino found her touch to score 10 points and lead the Vikings (18-6, 7-2) to a 56-52 victory.

The victory leaves Marina in sole possession of second place behind Ocean View (8-1) in the Sunset League. Fountain Valley is third at 16-9, 5-4.

Workman, who had a career-high 26 points, hit all seven of her second-half shots. Workman’s scoring, coupled with an aggressive defense that shut down the Vikings’ fast break, gave Fountain Valley 39-38 lead after three quarters.

But Marina responded with a defensive run of its own.

“We talked about defense being the key all week,” Marina Coach Pete Bonny said. “We threw everything we had at them. We started the third quarter like we started the game in a 2-1-2 zone on misses and a press to a 1-2-2 on makes. They had some players who don’t normally hit, hit some outside shots they normally wouldn’t. We finally shut them down for a couple of minutes in the fourth quarter.”

Marina outscored Fountain Valley, 18-13, and limited Workman to three shots in the final quarter.

“What hurt us was their pressure in the end,” Baron Coach Carol Strausburg said. “Workman was hot, but the last four minutes she didn’t get (the ball) at all. They kept it from her. And in the fourth quarter we had more turnovers than we should have had.”

The Barons had five fourth-quarter turnovers. Marina had none.

Sortino, who made only one of her first seven shots, finished with 24 points. She hit only six of 21 shots, but in the fourth quarter she shot 50%.

“Good players find a way to win,” Bonny said of Sortino, who was the only Viking in double figures.

Jennifer Barbaro scored 10 points for Fountain Valley.

In other Sunset League games:

Ocean View 56, Edison 43--Jenny Sullivan had 27 points, 25 rebounds and 10 blocked shots to lead Ocean View (23-2, 8-1). Fabiola Nunez had eight points and 15 rebounds for Ocean View. Debbie Fischer had 25 points and Talia Crooks 10 for Edison (14-8, 4-5).

Huntington Beach 73, Westminster 40--Jana Davis scored a career-high 36 points, including 25 in the first half, Dana Jahr had 11 points, Tracey Hojo had 14 assists and Jennifer Johnson had 12 rebounds for visiting Huntington Beach (9-14, 3-6). The Oilers led, 37-15, at the half.