DIVISION II-AA ROUNDUP : Stone’s Late Free Throws Help Woodbridge Advance

Senior guard Shea Stone scored 22 points, including 11 free throws down the stretch, to lead Woodbridge to an 87-79 victory over Garden Grove in the opening round of the Division II-AA basketball playoffs at Garden Grove Friday night.

The victory earned Woodbridge (13-12) a spot in the second round Tuesday night opposite top-seeded and unbeaten Riverside J.W. North.

John Florance added 19 points and Rob Whitfield added 11 for the Warriors. Ray Green scored 14 points and Cornel Archer added 13 for Garden Grove, which finished 14-11.

Woodbridge had what appeared to be a comfortable 65-50 lead with five minutes left, but the Argonauts forced several Warrior turnovers to trim the lead to 71-70 with 1:24 left in the game.

Stone’s two free throws with 13 seconds left gave Woodbridge a 85-79 lead. Florance’s basket following a steal accounted for the final margin for the Warriors, who led, 35-32, at halftime. Woodbridge was 26 for 34 at the free-throw line compared to Garden Grove’s 12 for 22.

In other II-AA games:

Riverside Poly 53, Ocean View 47--A five-point swing in the final minute marked the culmination of Riverside Poly’s comeback in the first round game at Ocean View.

Ocean View (15-9) was in control most of the game but Poly entered the third quarter with renewed vigor. By the end of the period, it had narrowed the margin to four, 40-36.

“The key was that we didn’t lose it in the first half,” said Poly Coach Mike Vanta. “Also, Chivo Anderson and Prederick Jernigan had two fouls each in the first half and we elected not to pull them out.”

Anderson, who connected on four three-point shots for 19 points, and Jernigan, who added 14, each had four fouls with three minutes to go.

With Poly trailing, 46-45, with 51 seconds left, Anderson hit a three-pointer and Rich Whang was immediately fouled by Ocean View’s Sean Goodgame. Whang made both free throws to put the Bears up, 50-46.

Dan McDonald led Ocean View with 13 points.