Oilers open league with bang

HUNTINGTON BEACH — It was just a matter of getting back to the basics Friday night for the Huntington Beach High boys’ basketball team.

Huntington, which had been a solid defensive team the first 15 games of its season, pressured matters early in its Sea View League opener against visiting Foothill. A quick start allowed the Oilers an early lead, but then they got out of sync, fell behind, but regrouped to come up with a big run in the third quarter that allowed them to come away with a 66-56 victory in front of a large home crowd at Elmer Combs Gymnasium.

The win moved Huntington to 14-2 overall and was a successful first step for the Oilers in their foremost goal: to win a league championship.

Foothill, meanwhile, slipped to 9-9 overall.

“It’s a good start,� Huntington Beach Coach Fabian Luna said. “We played a good second half. I thought we came out really strong and played hard but then seemed to ease up a bit. Foothill shot real well in that first half. They’re a solid team who will finish among the top three in league.�

The Oilers, who are considered the favorites to win league, a year after finishing runner-up to El Toro, took it to the Knights right away and appeared headed for a runaway win after Zach Kimber hit a three-point shot to put the hosts up, 9-2. But Foothill slowly climbed back into contention and drew even at 17-17 when Andrew Conlisk hit a three-point shot with 13 seconds left in the quarter. Conlisk’s three was the third of three three-point shots the Knights made in the final 79 seconds of the quarter.

The Oilers regained the lead, 20-17, on another three-point shot by Kimber just eight seconds into the second quarter and still led by that margin, 28-25, after Neil Negrete made one of two free throws with 2:20 left in the half. Foothill, though, ended the half on a 5-0 run with Jay Filley hitting a three to tie the score (28-28) before Zach Griffith hit a jumper from the baseline with 1:18 left , to give the Knights their first lead of the game.

That 30-28 advantage would hold at the half.

“We just seemed to get out of rhythm there for a bit and they (Foothill) hit some big shots,� Luna said. “But in the second half, it was all about us getting back to the basics. We lead with our defense and we really stepped up in that regard, in the third quarter.�

The defensive effort started with David Swartz getting a pair of blocked shots in the opening 1:30 of the second half. On the other end of the court, Kimber hit a jump shot from the baseline to draw Huntington even at 30-30. Foothill regained the lead at 33-30 when Jacob Marano nailed a three with 5:36 left in the third, but those would be the final points the Knights would score over the next 5:06 of the quarter. It was then that Huntington took over.

When Negrete hit a follow shot at the 4:57 mark of the quarter, it would ignite an 18-0 run that took the Oilers from a three-point deficit, into a 48-33 lead. Griffith ended the Oilers’ run with a turnaround jumper with 30 seconds left in the quarter but Huntington was able to take a 48-35 lead into the final eight minutes.

During the 16-0 run, Robert Clark scored on a driving lay-up to give the Oilers the lead for good, 34-33. Kimber hit a pair of three-point shots and scored on a reverse lay-up after Clark, who keyed the defensive pressure, had created a steal to cap the 18-point spurt. Negrete also hit from inside the key and later had a steal that he converted into a three-point shot.

“Our defensive play created that big run and that was the key to the game,� Luna said.

Huntington maintained control in the fourth quarter although Foothill was able to trim the deficit to seven points on three occasions, the last of which came when Myles Carillo scored on a lay-up to make it 63-56 with 31 seconds to play. The Knights could get no closer as the Oilers hit five of seven free throws in the final 43 seconds, four coming from Kimber, who led all scorers with 21 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Swartz finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Neser had 16 points for Huntington which plays its next league game Wednesday at Trabuco Hills.

Filley led Foothill with 18 points.

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (714) 966-4611 or by e-mail at [email protected].