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ANAHEIM – Pacifica boys basketball coach David Friedman was concerned Friday night when the Mariners’ point guard suffered an injury and two key players fouled out late in a tight game.

But much like his players, Friedman remained confident and steady.

After a large halftime lead evaporated, Pacifica used a late surge to outlast Ocean View, 55-46, at Loara High in the final day of pool play in the Loatella Tournament.

Pacifica (6-3), which needed to defeat Ocean View by at least 20 points to advance to the championship game, faces Loara on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the fifth-place matchup.

Ocean View (4-4), which had a three-game winning streak snapped, plays Buena Park on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the title game.

“It wasn’t me so much keeping their composure as it was the bench,” Friedman said. “The team was fabulous tonight. … To get a win like this is great for the kids’ confidence.”

It took more than assurance to keep Ocean View at bay.

A 9-2 spurt by the Seahawks midway through the third quarter cut Pacifica’s halftime led to 32-31, but Pacifica’s fast-break offense down the stretch kept the lead intact.

The Mariners, sparked by a series of baskets from Ezekiel Aroz and a crucial 3-pointer from Robert Luera with 1:46 left in the fourth quarter, clinched the victory on a 9-4 run to end the game.

“It was important,” said Luera, who had 12 points and nine rebounds. “But this was more about the team. We talk a lot about pushing through in practice, and tonight we showed it.”

In a physical game, which featured five foul-outs, Pacifica used a 17-3 outburst collectively in the first two quarters to build a 28-18 halftime lead.

Ocean View shot just 19 percent (4 of 21) from the field in the first half and was uncharacteristically cold from 3-point range.

Pacifica’s Thomas Huynh scored 11 points and led an aggressive transition game. His night, however, was disrupted late in the third when he went down hard with a leg injury.

Zarek Osborne led Ocean View with a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds.