SUNSET LEAGUE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : As the League Turns: Edison Wins This One

Go figure this Sunset League girls’ basketball race.

Fountain Valley beat Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach beat Marina. Marina beat Ocean View. Ocean View beat Edison.

And Tuesday night, Edison beat Fountain Valley, 60-41.

Is this a competitive league, or what?

“I think this is the best league in Orange County,” Edison Coach Philip Abraham said. “Nobody has any idea what’s going to happen from game to game.”

Nobody has any idea who’s going to be in first place when all is said and done, either. Edison’s victory in the Barons’ gym moved the Chargers into a second-place tie with Fountain Valley and Ocean View at 3-2, one game behind Huntington Beach and Marina.

The Chargers moved up in the standings behind guard Melanie Iwamasa, who scored 20 points and directed Edison’s up-tempo offense. Edison (8-7) let the bigger Barons (9-9) dictate the pace in the first quarter, when Fountain Valley opened a 16-10 lead with strong inside play.

Edison’s Janette Oriza attacked the boards in the second quarter, however, getting six of her game-high 17 rebounds. The Chargers shut down Fountain Valley’s passing lanes into center Julie Murdent and began pushing the ball upcourt.

Iwamasa made two three-pointers off the break in the third quarter, when Edison extended a 24-23 halftime lead to 39-31. The Chargers blew the game open in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points, and limiting Fountain Valley to nine.

Edison’s Joan Paje scored eight of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Iwamasa added another three-pointer, her fourth of the game.

“We thought we were quicker, so we wanted to push it all night,” Abraham said. “Once our defense picked up, Melanie and Joan got us playing at our speed.”

Murdent led Fountain Valley with 19 points.

In other league games:

Ocean View 70, Santa Ana 44--Nikki Vivion had 17 points for host Ocean View (12-5, 3-2), which led, 22-7, after the first quarter. Stacy Lumley had 13 points for Santa Ana (8-6, 1-4).

Marina 66, Westminster 24--Julie Luft scored 11 points for Marina (15-3, 4-1). Lori Yoshiziaki scored five points for Westminster (3-13, 0-5).