Edison’s Double Dip Dims Playoff Hopes

Edison’s decline continued Friday as the Chargers, once ranked in the Orange County girls’ basketball top 10, lost for the seventh time in eight games, leaving their playoff future uncertain.

Because of a three-way tie for second place among Edison, Marina and Huntington Beach with 5-5 Sunset League records, a playoff at Fountain Valley determined who got the second and third automatic playoff berths.

Edison lost to Marina in the battle for second place in the afternoon, 42-33, then fell to Huntington Beach at night, 46-40. Edison’s playoff hopes hinge on selection as an at-large team.

“I’d much rather be playing well than petering out,” Edison Coach Geoff Bell said. “But our shots haven’t been falling and it affected us mentally.”

Edison (17-11) looked like it might get over the hump against Huntington Beach, coming back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the score at 37-37 on a three-point basket by Rachael Ziemann with 5 minutes 20 seconds left. However, the Chargers didn’t score again until Ziemann (14 points) made another three-pointer, her fourth, with eight seconds left.

Kelsey Ball had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Huntington Beach (15-12).

In the early game, Marina (15-12) got 21 points from Miranda Emde.