Fast start carries Edison past JSerra, into Beach Bash final

Edison players cheer their team in the final minute of the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament against JSerra in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. Edison won the game. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Edison guard Randall Walker, left, beats JSerra guard Kyle Crehin to the ball in the first quarter of the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Edison guard Randall Walker goes up for the score despite JSerra defenders during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra forward Sebastian Much, center, tries to put up a shot surrounded by Edison forward Jonah Tuato, left, center Josh Phillips, second from right, and guard Matt Serven during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Edison guard Randall Walker, left, hangs on to the ball as he drives by JSerra forward Jack McClintock to put up a shot during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra guard Omeed Fakhimi, Edison forward Jonah Tuato, JSerra guard CJ Ursetta, and Edison guard Matt Serven, from left, go after a loose ball during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra coach Zach Brogdon, left, yells out instructions to his players during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament against Edison in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Edison guard Nate Matthews, right, keeps JSerra guard Jordan Alvarado from taking a clean shot at the Beach Bash tourney.
Edison's Nate Matthews, left, and JSerra's Omeed Fakhimi get tangle up as Matthews tries to keep the ball.
Edison center Josh Phillips, right, tries to block a shot by JSerra forward Jack McClintock during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra guard Omeed Fakhimi, center, reaches for a rebound against Edison during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra forward Sebastian Much, second from left, loses control of the ball with pressure from Edison center Josh Phillips, left, guard Hayden Silva and guard Matt Serven, right, during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Edison coach Rich Boyce yells encouragement to his players during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament against JSerra in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra forward Jack McClintock, bottom, and Edison guard Matt Serven scramble for the loose ball during the semifinal of the Beach Bash Tournament in Corona del Mar on Friday, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

By Steve Fryer | sfryer@scng.com | Orange County Register

December 9, 2016 at 11:11 p.m.

NEWPORT BEACH – Edison took a large early lead and went on to defeat JSerra, 62-42, Friday in the semifinals of the Beach Bash boys basketball tournament at Corona del Mar High.

Edison (3-0) will play St. John Bosco (3-0) in the tournament championship game Saturday at 4 p.m. at Corona del Mar.

The championship was scheduled for 8:30 p.m., but Edison coach Rich Boyce is the school’s athletic director and must be at Edison’s football game Saturday against San Clemente in the CIF State Regionals.

JSerra (2-1) will play Cajon (2-1) in the Beach Bash third-place game Saturday at 7 p.m.

Edison was ranked No. 4 and JSerra was No. 7 in the Register’s Orange County preseason top 10.

Matt Serven led Edison with 23 points. Serven, a 6-foot-4 senior guard who transferred from Fountain Valley, also had seven rebounds.

Randall Walker added 19 points and Nate Matthews contributed 15 points Edison. Matthews and Walker were All-Sunset League and All-CIF players last season.

Josh Phillips, a 6-8 junior transfer from Newport Harbor, had eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

He was assigned to guard JSerra’s 6-8 senior Sebastian Much and, with plenty of help from teammates, limited Much to 11 points on 2 for 10 shooting. Much, who signed with Princeton, had scored 54 points over the Lions’ previous two games.

JSerra coach Zach Brogdon, who coached at Capistrano Valley Christian last season, said Much has a sore back; Much did not start Friday.

Edison had a 22-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. Matthews scored nine in that quarter and Serven and Walker had seven points each. JSerra made only 2 of 15 shots in the period.

The Chargers extended their lead to 22 points, the largest margin of the game, early in the second quarter. JSerra made a brief run in the third quarter to cut the Edison lead to 12 points, but the Lions got no closer than that.

Walker called it “a great game for us” and said the reason for that was simple.

“We played really well on defense,” he said. “We like playing defense.”

Boyce agreed that defense was the catalyst.

“The reason we started off so well is because we defended so well,” Boyce said.

“We let them (the Lions) back in the game at times.”

Contact the writer: sfryer@scng.com