Los Alamitos Beats Marina, Remains Up in Down Year

The Los Alamitos boys’ basketball team picked the right time to have a down year in the Sunset League.

The Griffins didn’t return any starters from last season’s co-championship team, but remain undefeated in league play following a 73-51 victory Friday night over host Marina.

Los Alamitos center Brian Rakusin said the Griffins are benefiting because the rest of the Sunset League is short on talent.

“This is the weakest this league has been in a couple years,” said Rakusin, a three-year letterman for the Griffins (14-6, 6-0). “There’s not many scorers and not a lot of height.”

Rakusin, who scored 14 points Friday, is averaging just under 17 points a game. Only Edison’s Matt Gonzales (17.0) is averaging more among Sunset League players.

Rakusin didn’t start against Marina after missing practice time earlier in the week because of illness.

He entered the game midway through a 9-0 run by the Griffins, which put them up, 15-6, with about a minute to play in the first quarter.

Marina (8-14, 3-3) cut the lead to five twice in the second quarter, but each time Los Alamitos answered with a short run of its own. The Vikings went into halftime on a high note after Chris DeLuca’s slam dunk in the closing seconds cut the Griffins’ lead to 33-26.

But Los Alamitos made nine of 12 shots in the third quarter, including three three-point baskets in four attempts by senior guard Ed Courtmarche, giving the Griffins a 55-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“We had a real balanced attack,” said Rakusin, one of four Griffins who scored in double figures.

Mark Lotman led Los Alamitos with 19 points, including four three-pointers in seven attempts, and Courtmarche and Eric Yarger had 12 each.

Brian Riley scored 17 points and DeLuca had 15 to lead Marina.

In other Sunset League games:

Edison 62, Huntington Beach 54--Richard Schwartz scored 21 points for the visiting Chargers (9-13, 2-4), who trailed at halftime. Bryan Harrison scored 13 points and Drew Janovick had 10 for Huntington Beach (8-13, 0-6).

Fountain Valley 40, Esperanza 30--Tucker Fendon scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter to help the host Barons (14-8, 5-1) take a 13-5 lead.