Loyola Overpowers Ocean View

The way Loyola High School center Ryan Jamison saw it, the outcome of Tuesday’s Southern Section playoff game against Ocean View was predictable.

Loyola advanced to the semifinals with a 98-79 victory at Fountain Valley High School. But Jamison showed no emotion. He merely shrugged and smiled.

“If we play the way we’re capable, we’ll win every time,” Jamison said. “It doesn’t matter what the other team does, we’re just better.”

Loyola proved that Tuesday.

The Cubs (21-3) were better in every phase of the game. They overpowered the Seahawks inside and out-ran them in the open court. In the middle of it all was Jamison, a 6-foot-11 center who will play at California next season.

Jamison had 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots. He made 11 of 17 shots, ranging from soft five-foot jumpers to rim-rattling dunks.

“We couldn’t stop their big guy,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said. “When they set up in their half-court offense, we played good defense. But then they would throw it inside and Jamison would kill us.”

If the Seahawks’ sole problem was Jamison, then things might have been better, or at least the score might have been close. But Ocean View had trouble with all facets of the Cubs’ game.

Loyola’s press forced 15 turnovers in the first half, which resulted in some easy baskets.

At one point in the first quarter, the Seahawks turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions. Loyola scored eight consecutive points to take a 19-15 lead.

“We could stop their inside game and then turned the ball over when we had it,” Harris said. “It became a double-edged word.”

The Cubs made six of their first seven shots in the second quarter for a 35-21 lead.

With Ocean View’s defense concentrating on Jamison and guard Eric Jones (23 points), forward Joe Burghardt was able to get free for easy shots. Burghardt scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half.

The Cubs picked up the pace in the second quarter and scored 12 points on the fast break. Loyola led, 46-32, at halftime.

“They’re a team that likes a fast tempo and so are we,” Harris said. “We just didn’t play the tempo game very well tonight.”

Ryan Martin got the Seahawks (16-11) back in the game in the third quarter. He made three consecutive field goals, two of which were three-point baskets, to spark an 11-0 run to cut the Cubs’ lead to six, 51-53.

Martin made 12 of 16 shots, including six three-point field goals, and finished with 30 points.

A three-point field goal by Martin pulled the Seahawks to within five, 58-53, with three minutes left in the third quarter, but that was as close they would get.