Ocean View headed to SoCal final Saturday

The Ocean View High faithful had many chants in the closing minutes Thursday night, but the most meaningful one started with 48 seconds left.

It was just four letters, but they meant so much to the Seahawks.

The chant? "UCLA."

That’s where the Ocean View boys’ basketball team is going on Saturday. The Seahawks are just two games away from a state title, after outlasting Canyon, 66-57, in the CIF State Division III Southern California regional semifinals.

No. 2-seeded Ocean View (26-7) will play top-seeded Harvard-Westlake (28-6) for the Southern California Division III title on Saturday at noon at Pauley Pavilion.

"I said, ‘I want you guys to put it away,’ " Coach Jim Harris said of the team’s previous success this year. "Put the league championship away, put the CIF championship away. We’re going to enjoy it later. But right now we’ve got a little tournament we’re in, and it’s going to take four games to win it. So two down, two to go. Let’s see if we can go be the Southern [California] regional champion."

With Saturday’s victory, which snapped Canyon’s 19-game winning streak, Ocean View has advanced the furthest of any team in Harris’ 31-year tenure.

Senior guard Mason Jones wouldn’t have it any other way. He stepped up big-time, pouring in a season-high 26 points, including four three-pointers. Defensively, Jones also did a fine job on Canyon senior Braden Priest.

Priest, the Comanches’ leading scorer during the season, had 12 points — but just one in the second half.

"It’s all about defense now," Jones said. "Avery [Johnson] got in foul trouble, and I took it upon myself. It was, ‘I want No. 33 [Priest]. I want to take him out of his game. I’m not going to let him beat us.’ "

Junior center Ryan Okwudibonye also came up large, with seven points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots. His big play inside was critical, as Canyon’s offense partially consisted of sophomore guard Chris Anderson driving inside before kicking out to open shooters.

Okwudibonye helped out Ocean View’s half-court defense, which was needed as the Seahawks abandoned their press once they got into foul trouble.