GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Huntington Beach at Peak in League-Opening Victory

The Huntington Beach girls’ basketball team didn’t need any late-game heroics to defeat Ocean View, Orange County’s fourth-ranked girls’ team, in the Sunset League opener Tuesday night at Huntington Beach High School.

The Oilers looked more like a league championship contender than an underdog against the visiting Seahawks, and dominated the fourth quarter in a 65-57 victory.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Huntington Beach Coach Nick Bartlett said. “We had a lot of tough nonleague games, and we’re benefiting from that experience now.”

Huntington Beach (7-6, 1-0 in league) got a strong second-half performance from center Tuesda Wistrick. Wistrick scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter, when the Oilers broke open a close game.

Ocean View (9-4, 0-1) led, 44-43, after three quarters, but Wistrick and guard Deana Itow took over in the final eight minutes. Itow scored 12 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, and combined with Wistrick to score all of Huntington Beach’s points during a 20-8 Oiler run in the first five minutes of the quarter.

Huntington Beach opened a 60-52 lead at the end of the run, and increased its lead to 63-52 on Itow’s three-pointer with one minute 30 seconds remaining.

“Having Itow and Wistrick gives us good balance on offense,” Bartlett said. “When they both get going at the same time, we can go on runs like that.”

Huntington Beach used a 2-3 zone in the second half to offset Ocean View’s inside strength. Ocean View controlled the offensive boards in the first half, led by center Nikki Vivion and forward Theresa Martini, but the Oilers’ zone allowed them to outrebound the Seahawks, 24-12, in the second half.

Tricia Lindquist led Ocean View with 15 points. Clare Walker had 14 for Huntington Beach.