HUNTINGTON BEACH – Huntington Beach made a late surge and collected a 48-40 victory over Newport Harbor on Friday at Edison High in a tiebreaker to determine third place in the Sunset League.
The Oilers (17-11) will go into the playoffs as the league’s third-place team, while the Sailors (16-12) hope to receive an at-large spot when the pairings are released Sunday.
The Sailors defeated the Oilers, 62-40, in the teams’ league finale Thursday to force the extra game.
Cooper Starkel led the Oilers with 15 points and Zach Blaine scored 18 to lead the Sailors. The Oilers opened the game with a 10-1 run and led 14-5 before Newport Harbor closed the quarter with 3-pointers by Collin Pipkin and Blaine and a basket by Dayne Chalmers to get the Sailors within one point.
Blaine got hot in the second, scoring 12 of his team’s 16 points, including the basket that gave the Sailors their first lead of the game, 23-21. Newport Harbor led at the half, 29-23.
Newport Harbor led 39-38 in the fourth, but Pipkin was called for an intentional foul, which gave the Oilers two free throws and possession with 1:20 remaining. Justin Brodt made both free throws and Noah Gonzalez hit a 3-pointer to put the Oilers up by four.
The Sailors managed one point the rest of the way and only 11 in the second half.
“We don’t shoot well and we still have to find ways to win,” Oilers coach Billy Thompson said. “We did it on the defensive end.”
