SEA VIEW LEAGUE BOYS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Woodbridge Makes Playoffs Despite Loss

With everything in its favor, Santa Margarita played with the energy of the ultimate sugar high.

With everything at stake, Woodbridge played flat as a day-old can of soda.

A playoff spot was a stake in the Sea View League season finale Friday night at Santa Margarita. Since Santa Margarita had won the league championship Wednesday, the Eagles were tuning up for the Southern Section playoffs, which begin next week.

For the Warriors, a victory would have ensured a place in playoffs. But an 80-62 loss put their fate in the hands of others.

“It’s disappointing from our perspective,” Woodbridge Coach John Halagan said. “We just didn’t have the energy or the intensity we needed.”

What Woodbridge needed was some help from the rest of the league--and it got it. Losses by Newport Harbor and Saddleback and a victory by Corona del Mar gave Woodbridge a tie with Corona del Mar for fourth place in the Sew View League. But since Woodbridge defeated Corona del Mar twice in league play, Woodbridge (12-12, 6-8) will get the remaining playoff spot.

But Woodbridge will have to kick it up a notch to stay alive in the postseason and play more like it did in its last meeting with Santa Margarita, when the Eagles won on a shot at the buzzer in overtime.

“You’d like to think that with a game that’s this important, you’re not going to come out like we did,” Halagan said. “Maybe we just played out of our minds that first game.”

Unlike their first meeting, Santa Margarita jumped to an early lead and never let up. The Eagles (21-4, 12-2) scored 24 points in each of the first two quarters and took a 48-31 halftime lead.

“Give Santa Margarita credit,” Halagan said. “They already clinched the league. But they showed up ready to play and they played hard.”

Santa Margarita’s Kevin Lewis led all scorers with 24 points. John Florence led Woodbridge with 17.

In other league games:

Corona del Mar 85, University 80--The teams combined to shoot 82 free throws, and Corona del Mar made 17 of 21 from the line in the fourth quarter to ice the game. Todd Merriman had 21 points, including 12 of 13 free throws, and Chris Quinn added 18 for the Sea Kings (13-12, 6-8).

Tustin 60, Saddleback 47--Dejuan Matthews had 20 points and Doug Gottlieb added 13 for visiting Tustin. Chris Bradshaw and Chris Caringal scored nine points for Saddleback (9-16, 5-9).

Irvine 44, Newport Harbor 38--Eric Ambrozich and Jim French scored 11 points each for visiting Irvine (19-7, 9-5). Eric Vallely and Ramy Shoukry each scored 12 points for Newport Harbor (12-14, 5-9).