The Los Alamitos High boys’ basketball team remained hot last week, stretching its winning streak to eight straight games, including all three of Sunset League contests to sit on top of the standings.
Last week, Los Alamitos welcomed two schools from Huntington Beach. It bested Marina with a 56-49 victory on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at home. It then topped Edison with 63-54 triumph on Friday, Jan. 17, to finish the homestand.
“We have been playing well,” Los Alamitos Head Coach Eddie Courtemarche said. “It’s a good spot to be in right now.”
The Griffins (15-4, 3-0) featured three different players who scored more than 10 points against Marina. Guard Khalid Washington finished with a team-high 15 points and 7 rebounds. Additionally, junior Ryan Kusch ended with 12 and sophomore Eyassu Worku made 11 points.
Marina (7-12, 1-2) dropped to fourth place. Despite suffering the loss, it showcased several noteworthy individual efforts. Junior Daniel Neff delivered a game-high 16 points and sophomore Buzz Stafford netted 10 points. Neff also had 5 steals and a pair of assists and 3-pointers.
The Griffins actually trailed at the end of the first quarter as the Vikings owned a 15-11 lead. Though the Griffins outscored their opposition 9-8 in the second quarter, they still trailed 23-19 at the halftime break. In the third, the Griffins gained control, taking a 36-31 advantage. They then outscored the Vikings by the score of 17-15 in the final quarter.
“We still need to improve,” said Los Alamitos player Steve Kim. “Like on defense, for one.”
Washington delivered another incredible performance against Edison (15-4, 2-1), which suffered its first league loss. He notched a game-high and season-high 32 points while Worku knocked down 17 points.
Washington has tallied 267 points so far this season.
Last year, Fountain Valley captured the Sunset League crown while Los Alamitos and Edison tied for second place. Fountain Valley also snapped Los Alamitos High’s streak of eight consecutive titles.
Los Alamitos will resume its Sunset League campaign against Newport Harbor on Jan. 24 at home. That contest will start at 7 p.m.
