HUNTINGTON BEACH – Even though his team entered its Sunset League opener Friday on a three-game win streak, Edison coach Rich Boyce said he felt his team had been in a bit of a funk. Senior guard Randall Walker said afterward that he agreed.
The fourth-ranked Chargers stepped out of that brief moment of gloom and doom against visiting Fountain Valley.
Walker led the Chargers with 20 points, Matt Serven added 18 and Nate Matthews contributed 13 to lead the Chargers to a 75-49 victory at Edison High.
The tone was set on the defensive end by junior center Josh Phillips, who grabbed eight rebounds and blocked 12 blocks. He altered several others in addition to scoring 10 points.
“I thought we played really well,” Boyce said. “Josh was outstanding on defense. I thought for the most part, we’re out of the funk we were in the last two games.
“We moved the ball and we were very team oriented, and that’s the way we’re going to have to play.”
The Chargers (12-3) scored the first seven points of the game. The Barons (8-8) cut the deficit to 9-7 on a rebound and put-back by Sean Hyunh.
Edison closed the quarter on 8-0 run, thanks to a pair of 3-point field goals by Serven and Walker and a pair of free throws by Phillips for a 17-7 lead. The lead reached 20 heading into halftime.
“The last two games, we couldn’t shoot, we had a lot of turnovers and we just didn’t feel confident,” Walker said. “I knew we were going to come back stronger because I’m very confident in my team.”
Phillips, a transfer from Newport Harbor, erupted in the third quarter, scoring eight points on dunks and dominating the paint defensively.
“He’s learning, he’s raw and he’s very athletic,” Boyce said of Phillips. “He’s still learning how to play. When he gets it all figured out, he’s going to be a monster.”
About the only thing that didn’t go his way happened in the first half when he missed a dunk off a pass off the backboard from Walker.
“We practiced that all the time in practice,” Walker said. “I guess it didn’t work that time.”
Huynh led the Barons with 11 points. Cody Newsome added eight.
The teams will meet again Jan. 27 at Fountain Valley.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@scng.com
