SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 5-A BOYS : Marina Runs Out of Gas Against Cajon

Somewhere below the Cajon Pass, Marina High School’s game collapsed like an old car trying to make it up a mountain grade.

Guard Travis Boyd, who had made nine three-point shots three days ago, struggled to make only one of seven from three-point range and committed seven turnovers.

Center Cherokee Parks, an 80% free-throw shooter, missed the front ends of two one-and-one opportunities and was never really a factor, despite scoring 17 points.

Forward Darren Fields couldn’t buy a basket, making only one of 12 shots although he was rarely guarded because the opposition keyed on Parks.

Marina lost to Cajon, 67-60, in the second round of the Southern Section 5-A division playoffs Friday night.

Cajon (23-3) got Marina to play its helter-skelter, fast-break style despite the repeated efforts of Coach Steve Popovich to slow his team down.

“It’s weird, I can’t explain it,” Popovich said. “We ended up playing their game. They didn’t outrebound us like I thought they would. They didn’t block our shots. But they lulled us into their game.”

Well, almost. Marina (18-9) did make a run at Cajon after trailing, 60-50, with two minutes remaining. Marina cut the deficit to four points, but then Cajon guard Amar Washington took control in the final minute.

Washington led all scorers with 22 points and made the big plays down the stretch for fourth-seeded Cajon, which will play El Toro in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Parks, a 6-foot-11 junior, was a picture of frustration for most of the second half. He got his third personal foul with 2:08 remaining in the second quarter and wasn’t effective afterward, although he did not get another foul.

“I can’t remember the last time Cherokee got three fouls in the first half,” Popovich said. “We was very tentative in the second half. Finally, I told him, ‘You’ve only got three fouls, it’s time to turn it on.’ ”

Marina’s biggest problem was its inability to make key free throws. Popovich said his team averaged a little better than 75% from the foul line this season, but Marina made 12 of 20 free throws Friday.

Parks wasn’t the only frustrated Marina player. Boyd scored 38 points in a first-round victory against Diamond Bar Tuesday night, but he never found the range against Cajon.

He made seven of 19 shots and had four critical turnovers in the third quarter. Marina committed seven turnovers and made three of its 12 shots in the third quarter, but had a 42-41 lead going into the last quarter.

But Cajon responded with three consecutive baskets to take a 54-47 lead with 3:34 remaining.