Griffins Recover, Stun Irvine : Division I-A: Los Alamitos overcomes early turnovers, then advances with 55-48 victory.

There were some answers in Los Alamitos’ 55-48 victory over Irvine Tuesday. And not just the obvious ones.

Sure, the victory puts the Griffins into the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs, where they will play San Bernardino Cajon Friday. And, yes, there was a certain amount of chest pounding after beating the Vaqueros, a team ranked fourth in Orange County at the end of the regular season.

But the Griffins answered some of their own questions. And, that meant a lot, too.

“We felt all along that we were going to be good,” forward Jason Cunningham said. “We just had to keep trying. This one kind of proves it.”

Los Alamitos not only won, it did so by playing Irvine’s pass-and-screen style.

Irvine (22-6) jumped to a 10-1 lead while Los Alamitos (19-9) turned the ball over on five of its first eight possessions. But the Griffins hung in there.

By the fourth quarter, they had a 42-40 lead and went to work wearing down Irvine.

A 15-foot jumper by Ali Miller gave the Griffins a 49-41 lead and the Vaqueros began to crack. They made only two of their final 14 shots. Los Alamitos then made six of seven free throws in the final 1 minute 29 seconds to clinch the victory.

The 55 points was the Griffins’ lowest total since losing to Oak Hill of Mouth of Wilson, Va., 92-55, in December.

“We definitely wanted the tempo a little faster,” Coach Steve Brooks said. “They wouldn’t let us. So, we just settled down and played.”

The Griffins found they could.

It has taken them some time to develop that confidence. But, after starting the season with a 3-7 record, Los Alamitos has been on the upswing.

Since the Oak Hill loss, the Griffins have won 16 of their last 18 and were co-champions of the Empire League.

“At 3-7, I started wondering if it was all downhill,” Cunningham said. “But we were a young time. We just needed time.”

To heal and improve, mainly.

The play of reserve guard Tim Lin has been a big part of the Griffins’ improvement. He suffered a broken ankle during the summer and was slow to recover. He scored 11 points Tuesday, nine in the first half. His three-pointer helped to pull the Griffins even, 26-26, at halftime.

Miller also has been a key to the team’s turnaround with his play at point guard. He settled the Griffins down after their shaky start and also scored 10 points.

“We played some tough teams during the preseason,” Brooks said. “I knew we were a better team.”

And, on Tuesday, the Griffins proved it.