Vikings set 3-point record

For the game, the Vikings went 12 of 44 (27.3%) from behind the arc. They got off to a miserable start, missing their first seven three-point attempts, and fell behind Esperanza, 17-0.

Troy Lewis, who hit the first five three-point shots for Marina to jump-start the Vikings, hit one from well beyond the arc to bring Marina into a 21-21 tie. A short jumper from inside the key by Jimmy Irvin gave the Vikings their first lead of the ball game, 25-22, with 3:38 left in the half.

Marina finished seven for 22 behind the arc in the first half. In contrast, Esperanza really didn't attempt a three-point shot, although a heave that missed from just inside of half-court at the halftime buzzer officially counted as an attempt.

A crucial and highlight-reel play for the Vikings came when James delivered a picture-perfect, behind-the-back pass to Kinoshita, who in turn nailed a three-point basket to put the Vikings up, 58-55, with a little more than four minutes to play.

The key sequence of the game, however, occurred with just over 30 seconds left. James came up with a steal that led to a three-point basket by Lewis, who was fouled on the shot. He sank the free-throw to complete a four-point play, which gave the Vikings a 71-67 lead with 27.4 seconds left.

Some of the Marina fans — led by a boisterous student section that knew prior to the game that the state record was in reach — rushed the court to congratulate the players at the final buzzer.

"It's nice to get the record, but I haven't really thought about it much," said Lewis, who finished with 27 points. "I tried to block it all out and blocked out the crowd noise, too. They were great and got us pumped up."

James' outstanding performance also included 20 points and seven assists. Kinoshita finished with 13 points.