Edison outlasts Newport Harbor, moves closer to outright title

Matt Palma took a shot — not the kind he wanted — in the waning seconds of the Edison High boys’ basketball game at Newport Harbor on Monday.

As he grabbed a defensive rebound and dribbled away to run out the clock in a three-point game, Zack Swies knocked Palma down near the scorer’s table and in front of the Edison bench. Asked whether he had ever been hit as hard in a game before, Palma, a 5-foot-11, 145-pounder, shook his head.

The foul, Palma said, actually felt good and understandably so after it sent him to the free-throw line.

“The free throws were the icing on the cake,� Palma said. “It was really great knocking [down] those free throws [to] win it for us.�

Palma converted three key free throws late, and the Chargers outlasted the Sailors 50-45 to remain perfect in the Sunset League.

Down the stretch of a physical contest, Palma, who finished with 16 points and two three-pointers, came up big. The senior guard scored five of Edison’s final seven points, helping the Chargers improve to 7-0 in league.

They’re closing in on the program’s first outright league title in quite some time, and it would mean a lot to Palma for the Chargers to finish all alone atop the league. Edison shared the league title last season, and three other times under coach Rich Boyce, who is in his 18th season in charge of the Chargers.

“It almost guarantees us outright league [for the] first time … in 30-something years. It’s insane,� said Palma, whose team has three games left in league. “Now we just got to take care of business on Wednesday.�

The Chargers (19-5 overall) can clinch at least a share of first with a win on Wednesday. They’re playing host to Los Alamitos (8-14, 4-2 in league), the same school the Chargers split the championship with last season.

Coach Bob Torribio said his Sailors (18-6, 5-2), ranked No. 12 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A poll, needed to beat Edison for any chance to win the league. Sam Barela did his part, scoring a game-high 24 points, 16 of which came in the second half, to go with five rebounds and three steals.

“He’s tough to defend, because if you put a little guard on him to [negate] his quickness, he just muscles them down, and if you put a bigger kid on him, he tends to just pull up and shoot,� Boyce said of Barela, who is 6-2 and 180 pounds.

Newport Harbor’s Sam Barela (20) celebrates after a shot went in late against Edison on Monday. Barela finished with 24 points, five rebounds and three steals.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer )

Some of Barela’s scoring opportunities came about because of Jake Bashore. Barela and Bashore, who played football together at the school, Barela as the quarterback and Bashore as a wide receiver, teamed up again for scores.

The 6-3 Bashore tipped balls out or grabbed offensive rebounds, sometimes against Edison 6-8 center Josh Phillips. Bashore’s biggest offensive rebound, the senior finished with seven, giving him 12 total rebounds, came with the Sailors trailing by two. The ball ended up in Barela’s hands, and the point guard passed the ball to Brad Siegel (10 points) near the right corner. Siegel appeared to hit a three-pointer at the three-minute mark, giving Newport Harbor a 44-43 lead, but it was ruled a two and the score was even at 43-43.

Palma answered for Edison 22 seconds later. He drove down the baseline for two and put the Chargers ahead 45-43.

After Barela evened things up, flying through the lane for a layup with 52 seconds to go, it was Palma getting a chance to break another tie. Barela fouled Palma without the ball, sending Palma to the free-throw line for a one-and-one situation with 35 seconds remaining.

Palma converted the first free throw. After missing the second, Edison wound up with the ball because of a held ball, with the possession arrow going to the Chargers. They had the ball with 33 seconds, and five seconds after inbounding it, the Sailors had to foul Kaden Headington. The Chargers took a 48-45 lead on Headington’s two free throws.

Newport Harbor had 28 seconds to figure out what it wanted to do, go for a quick score and foul, or go for the tie. Everyone in the gym knew Barela would take the shot, as for the second straight time this season, Edison’s Spencer Serven and David Atencio limited Newport Harbor standout Dayne Chalmers to four points.

The Sailors decided to go for the tie, and Barela attempted a three-pointer with five seconds left. He missed it and Palma got the rebound. The next thing Palma felt was a shove and the hardwood.

Afterward, Atencio, who had 15 points, laughed.

“He flops a little bit, too,� Atencio said of Palma. “It was pretty physical, a little cheap shots, but we powered through it and got the win.�

David Atencio (0), Justin Strauss (1) and Kaden Headington (21) celebrate Edison’s 50-45 victory over Newport Harbor, keeping the Chargers undefeated in the Sunset League.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer )

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