Los Alamitos Gets a Share of the Title

Ryan Keller, Los Alamitos’ senior guard, was the guy everybody wanted on the free-throw line with the Sunset League title hanging in the balance.

He was the guy Marina fans wanted on the line with their Vikings trailing by two with seven seconds to play because he had just missed two free throws on the Griffins’ previous possession.

And he was the guy Los Alamitos Coach Richard Smith wanted on the line because he knew his floor leader could convert both opportunities.

With every eye in the packed Griffin gym trained on him, Keller stepped up to the line and . . . swish! He then nailed his second shot to seal eighth-ranked Los Alamitos’ 47-43 victory over fourth-ranked Marina on Thursday, giving both teams a share of the league title.

It was the third consecutive title for the Griffins (21-5, 9-1) and the first in eight seasons for the Vikings (23-3, 9-1). Both teams head into the playoffs as a No. 1 seed from the league--Los Alamitos in Division I-AA and Marina in Division I-A.

Keller, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, said he was confident as he approached the line. It was hard to detect any nerves from the businesslike manner in which he made both shots.

“He’s a clutch kid,” said Smith. “He’s the kind of kid you want to see go up to the line, even if he’s missed a few before.”

Marina was plagued by turnovers. The Vikings took a 9-7 lead before sloppy ballhandling allowed Los Alamitos to go on an 18-3 run that spanned the last four minutes of the first quarter and several minutes into the second.

“Technically, we lost the game because we turned the ball over too much,” said Marina Coach Roger Holmes. “When you don’t get shots you can’t make shots.”

The Vikings, led by shooting guard Beau Brown’s 16 points on four three-pointers and a baseline jumper, steadily chipped away at the lead until Michael Peterson’s shot off the glass went in late in the third quarter to tie it at 32.

A Brown three-pointer tied the score at 35-35 to open the fourth quarter before Los Alamitos surged ahead with a 9-0 run and held off Marina down the stretch with Keller’s free throws.

In another Sunset League game:

Esperanza 50, Fountain Valley 44--Lloyd Walls led all players with 15 points and six blocked shots as the Aztecs rallied from a four-point halftime deficit.

In the Freeway League:

No. 6 Troy 63, La Habra 41--Mark Ahlberg had 19 points and Ray Mike added 11 for the host Warriors (24-2, 9-1).

In the Garden Grove League:

Garden Grove 62, Pacifica 59 (OT)--Garden Grove was trailing, 54-51, with seven seconds remaining in regulation when Greg Benoit hit a three-pointer to send it to overtime. The Argonauts outscored Pacifica, 8-5. Kevin Cook of Pacifica was the high scorer with 22 points. Norman Smith led Garden Grove with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

In the Olympic League:

Orange Lutheran 65, Calvary Chapel 42--Jason Whieldon scored 20 points and had seven assists and five steals for Orange Lutheran (21-4, 9-1).

In the Pacific Coast League:

Corona del Mar 65, Costa Mesa 62--League champion Corona del Mar hit 14 three-pointers, led by six from Alec Hansen.