Edison can’t keep up with Ayala in Division 2AA title game
ANAHEIM — The Edison High boys’ basketball program was in a CIF Southern Section championship final for the second consecutive year Saturday, and its trip to The Honda Center ended in the same fashion as the previous season: a runner-up finish to a title.
Second-seeded Edison played Chino Hills Ayala tough early but the top-seeded Bulldogs pulled away in the third quarter and went on to capture their program’s first Southern Section title with a 63-49 victory in the Division 2AA final.
Edison, appearing in its third section championship game – the program has yet to win a title, trailed by seven points at halftime. The Chargers were dealt a setback when starting junior guard Nate Matthews got into foul trouble early in the second half, and the Bulldogs took advantage and gained distance from the Chargers.
“Watching them on tape doesn’t do them justice,” Edison Coach Rich Boyce said of the Bulldogs who won for the 30th time and improved to 30-3. “You know, we stayed with them in the first half and if we had made some layups that we missed in the first half, we’d be right there. Some turnovers led to fast-breaks for them.
“They are as good as advertised and are a very talented team. They easily could be playing in the [CIF] Open Division.”
The game got away from Edison (24-8) in the third quarter. The Chargers trailed, 28-21 at halftime, but Matthews was fouled on a three-point shot attempt just 14 seconds into the second half. He hit two of his three free throw attempts to make it a five-point game but within a 24-second span moments later, he picked up his third and fourth fouls and went to the bench at the 7:12 mark of the quarter.
Ayala then went to work. Bulldogs senior guard and Cal State Fullerton commit Austen Awosika scored on a jumper in the key which triggered an 11-0 run over the next two minutes for the Bulldogs. It ended when senior guard Miles President scored from the top of the key for a 39-23 lead.
When Edison sophomore guard David Atencio picked up a loose ball and drained a baseline floater, it ended a four-minute scoring drought for the Chargers who trailed 39-26 with 3:50 left in the quarter. It was then that Matthews re-entered the game.
Matthews would play the remainder of the game and finish with a team-high 16 points.
“It stung a bit to see Nate picked up those two quick fouls in the second half,” Boyce said of Matthews having to leave the game. “We had no other options to put him back in. The game was starting to get away from us.”
The Chargers drew to within 12 points (41-29) with 3:15 left in the quarter but Ayala scored the final six points of the quarter to go out front, 47-29, heading into the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs took the first of three 22-points leads in the final quarter on a three-point play by Awosika who, along with teammate John Edgar Jr. tied for game-high scoring honors at 19 points apiece. They led, 55-33, with 6:04 remaining.
“They can score points in bunches, and that’s something we usually do to teams,” Boyce said.
The Bulldogs again held a 22-point cushion at 59-37 with four minutes left. Boyce went to his bench to finish out the final 1:17 of the game, and the Chargers closed on a 12-4 run which ended when junior guard Hayden Silva nailed a long-range three-point shot in the closing seconds.
Edison only led once, at 2-0 on a shot inside by senior forward Garrett White only 22 seconds into the game. As they did in the third quarter, the Bulldogs scored the final six points of the opening quarter to take a 15-9 lead. They took an eight-point lead at 17-9, their biggest lead of the first half, early in the second quarter.
Edison cut its deficit to three points on three occasions in the quarter, but went into halftime trailing 28-21.
“I was proud of the way our guys fought the entire game,” Boyce said. “We got beat by a team that is so athletic, and there’s no shame in that. Did we play our best? No, but I can’t fault our effort.”
Edison shot only 29% for the game and scored its fewest points in a game this season. In addition to Matthews’ 16 points, junior guard Randall Walker scored 11 points and Atencio had eight points.
Junior forward Jonah Tuato scored five points, Silva three points and White, senior center Tommy Barlow and senior guard Jake Barton each had two points for the Chargers.
The Chargers out-rebounded the Bulldogs for the game, 36-28.
“Like last year, we’re disappointed to not get a championship but I told the kids, take a look around you and soak this all in. This is one for the memory bank. It’s a great experience for them.”
Boyce said after the game that CIF confirmed that his Chargers will receive a berth for next week’s CIF State playoffs. The state playoff pairings will be decided Sunday.
