No Letup for Oxnard in Downing Rio Mesa

So much for the theory Oxnard High might have a letdown after clinching its second consecutive Pacific View League boys’ basketball title.

The Yellowjackets beat Rio Mesa by 43 points in a Pacific View title clincher on Friday, but they played even better in a 76-53 victory over Hueneme on Tuesday night that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

Oxnard (21-4, 8-0 in league play), the No. 4-ranked team in the region by The Times, led, 63-29, late in the third quarter before Coach Henry Lobo started to look far down his bench for substitutes.

“We’re on our way,” Lobo said. “We’re playing well as the playoffs get closer. Some people have said that our defense hasn’t been that consistent this year and that’s been our rallying cry. Our goal has been to play consistent pressure defense for four quarters in the last several games.”

Oxnard, led by Matthew Merricks’ five steals, forced Hueneme (14-9, 4-3) into 21 turnovers. Hueneme had nine in the third quarter when the Yellowjackets extended a 46-23 halftime lead to 65-34 entering the fourth.

“We thrive on defense,” Merricks said after scoring 19 points. “That’s what makes us go. We don’t have a lot of height on this team, but we are quick so we have to get after it on defense.”

Johnie Williams brought the Hueneme fans to their feet with a right-handed dunk that cut the Vikings’ deficit to 49-26 early in the third quarter, but Oxnard went on a 14-3 run over the next four minutes to take 63-29 advantage with 2:21 left in the quarter.

Ricky Hernandez converted a three-point play to start the Yellowjackets’ run and Merricks capped it with a 15-foot jumper.

Oxnard, which is 16-0 in the first two years of Pacific View League play, hit six of seven shots during that stretch and forced seven turnovers that led to nine points.

“They’ve been getting progressively better all along,” Coach Tom McCollum of Hueneme said. “They are so strong, but strong in a unified fashion. They are quick, but you look even quicker when you play as well together as they do. When they go up the floor, it’s as a unit. . . . They look like a school of fish.”

Oxnard, which has won 10 consecutive games since a 52-47 loss to Santa Monica in the Santa Barbara tournament late in December, was doubly tough against Rio Mesa because the Yellowjackets shot well.

They made 10 of 14 shots in the first quarter, eight of 13 in the second and eight of 15 in the third before going four for 12 in the fourth when Lobo emptied his bench with 3:53 left.

Nicholas Curtis, a 6-foot-6 junior center, had 13 points and five blocked shots for Oxnard.

Lee Abair added 11 points, including nine in the second quarter when the Yellowjackets extended a 21-9 lead after one quarter to 46-23 at halftime.