SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

El Toro 68, Canyon Springs 52--After trialing, 8-0, El Toro outscored Canyon Springs, 33-9, in the last 10 minutes of the first half to take control at El Toro.

Dan Somers, who came off the bench to score nine points on four-of-five shooting during a 15-2 El Toro run in the first half, finished with 11 points.

Rob Johnson suffered a poor shooting night but still had 19 points. He was four of 17 from the floor, but made nine free throws in the fourth quarter to help El Toro (21-5) stop a Canyon Springs (22-5) rally. Johnson also had 12 rebounds.

Santa Barbara 77, Huntington Beach 67--Dave Palmer scored 24 points and Matt Purdy added 20 to lead Santa Barbara past the Oilers at Huntington Beach.

Despite holding Huntington Beach’s leading scorer Mustapha Abdi to five first-half free throws, Santa Barbara (22-6) trailed, 29-28, at halftime.

Abdi warmed up in the third quarter, scoring 10 of the Oilers’ 17 points, but picked up his fourth foul with 1:50 to play in the quarter and did not return to the game because of illness.

Huntington Beach (11-15) cut Santa Barbara’s lead to 63-60 with 1:38 to play on Anh Duong’s three-point basket, but the Dons made all 14 of their free throws the rest of the way for the victory.