Fairfax Beats Fremont in Overtime, 80-78

Clutch free throws by senior forward Jamal Boykin and key contributions by freshman guard Chris Solomon enabled Los Angeles Fairfax to pull out an 80-78 overtime victory over host L.A. Fremont in a City Championship semifinal game Friday night.

Boykin, who finished with 29 points, made two free throws with 26 seconds left in overtime to give Fairfax a 79-78 lead. After Jeremy Hazell of Fremont missed two free throws with six seconds left, Boykin got the rebound, was fouled and made another free throw to send third-seeded Fairfax (24-4) into the section final for the fourth consecutive season.

Solomon forced two turnovers and made two baskets at the end of regulation to help the Lions overcome a five-point deficit in the final two minutes. He finished with 12 points.

Second-seeded Fremont (21-3), which had a 16-game winning streak ended, received 25 points from Danny Williams and 21 points from Hazell.

Eric Sondheimer

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Joshua Miller of Chino Hills Ayala made his first three-point attempt of the season with four seconds left in regulation against host Lakewood, sending the game into overtime where the fourth-seeded Bulldogs pulled away for an 80-73 victory in a Southern Section Division I-AA quarterfinal.

“I knew I could shoot the three-pointer,” said Miller, a 6-foot-8 junior center. “It felt good right when it came out of my hand.”

Ayala (23-4) advanced to its first semifinal since 2000, where it will play top-seeded Etiwanda, a 51-49 winner over Long Beach Poly, on Tuesday at a site to be determined. The Bulldogs held Etiwanda to its lowest point total of the season in a 49-43 loss Dec. 29.

Ayala’s season was on the brink when Leon Young made two free throws with 16.9 seconds remaining to give fifth-seeded Lakewood (24-5) a 65-62 lead. After the Bulldogs inbounded the ball under their basket, Miller took a pass with seven seconds left and launched the tying basket.

Stephan Gilling, a Colorado State-bound guard for Ayala, scored 17 of his team-high 22 points in the second half. Teammate Darren Moore scored all 19 of his points in the first half and Miller finished with 15. Brandon Nevens led Lakewood with 27 points.

Dan Arritt

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Girls’ Water Polo

Santa Ana Foothill’s Amber Oland made 13 saves in goal and the Knights used three third-quarter goals to help eliminate Santa Margarita from the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year with a 5-2 victory in the Southern Section Division I semifinals at William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine.

The victory sends Foothill (26-3) to the championship game Tuesday for the sixth consecutive season. The Knights, who will face Newport Harbor (27-3) at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach, have won the championship four times. They were runner-up to Newport Harbor last year.

Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter, and both sophomore goalkeepers gave stellar performances throughout. Santa Margarita goalie Stephanie Peckham also had 13 saves.

“I always feel like I should do that,” Oland said. “I get excited when it actually happens.”

Gracie Reynolds scored three goals for Foothill.

-- Lauren Peterson