SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : BOYS 3-A : Dos Pueblos Wins Title in Overtime

Senior center Chris Gaines made a 19-foot jump shot in the final second of overtime to give Goleta Dos Pueblos a 39-38 victory over Corona del Mar in the Southern Section 3-A Division boys’ basketball final Wednesday night in the Bren Center at UC Irvine.

Gaines’ shot ended the lowest scoring 3-A title game ever as both teams shot under 40% from the field. The previous low in 21 years of Division 3-A title games was in 1971, when Dos Pueblos defeated Bellflower, 49-40.

Corona del Mar (19-10) appeared to have the game won when forward Jon Upham scored his only two points on foul shots with 18 seconds remaining in overtime.

But Gaines used a double screen and swished a jump shot from the left side of the key to win it for the Chargers.

“They had been overplaying me on my drives the whole game,” said Gaines, who led all scorers with 22 points, including all seven overtime points for the Chargers. “I was just trying to get my shot off and when it left my hand it was kind of like a prayer shot.”

In the first half, Gaines led the Chargers to a commanding lead. At one point, he had outscored the entire Corona del Mar team, 12-11. The Chargers (16-13) led at halftime, 22-15.

However, the Sea Kings rallied in the third quarter, outscoring the Chargers, 11-4, with guard Mark Flint leading the way with three assists and three points.