Ocean View Pulls Inside Job

Time and time again this season taller teams pounded the basketball into the low post against Pacifica and failed to beat the scrappy Mariners.

In Tuesday’s Southern Section Division II-A boys’ basketball quarterfinal at Cypress College, Ocean View figured out how to do it right.

The Seahawks got 13 points and eight rebounds from swingman Casey Lawson, 12 points and nine rebounds from forward Rahshaw McAfee and six points and four rebounds from reserve center Jeremiah Bell to beat fourth-seeded Pacifica, 55-46.

The unseeded Seahawks advance to Friday’s semifinal against top-seeded Inglewood. The loss stopped Pacific’s 26-game winning streak.

Guard Tony Dow made six of his final seven field-goal attempts and led Ocean View with 18 points, but this was decided under the basket, where the Mariners’ 6-foot-1 center Jayson Simpson gave it a gallant try, despite giving up three inches or so across the front line.

Simpson, whose array of driving layups with both hands kept the Seahawks at bay for much of the first half, had 21 points. But Pacifica was outrebounded, 38-20, in the game. In the third quarter when Ocean View extended a 25-24 halftime lead to nine points, the Seahawks held a 12-2 rebounding advantage and made eight of 14 shots, mostly inside the key.

“We pretty much knew coming in that they were an inside team,” Mariner guard Adam Rachlin said. “They would work the ball in low and then they had Dow outside. We gave them a lot inside on defense and we missed some shots that should have fallen.”

Simpson was eight of 11 shots but his teammates were a combined 11 of 31.

Still, the Mariners set a furious pace at both ends, but Ocean View responded with tough defense. That had a lot to do with the teams combining for 45 turnovers and five charging fouls.

“They were very scrappy,” Lawson said. “Every time you brought the ball down low they would knock it out of your hands. We had to fight for this game.”

In another Division II-A game:

Santa Margarita 72, Goleta Dos Pueblos 53--Forward Spencer Gloger led Santa Margarita (26-2) with 27 points. Kelly Kramer added 24 points and had seven rebounds for the Eagles. Santa Margarita will play Mayfair.