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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — When the JSerra boys soccer team hit a rough patch during the middle of league play, they had to make a decision, Lions coach Erik Kirsch said.

JSerra could have easily given up on the season at that point, or it could rely on the team’s senior leadership to get back in the win column, the coach said.

The Lions chose the latter and put an exclamation point on their season with a 5-0 Trinity League victory over Mater Dei on Wednesday at JSerra High School. Senior captains Max Carvalho and Carson Kendall led the Lions with two goals each.

With the victory, the Lions (12-3-1, 6-3-1) earned a share of first place alongside the Monarchs (15-4-1, 6-3-1), who were looking to win the league title outright.

“We had two games (against) Santa Margarita and Mater Dei where they took it to us,” Kirsch said. “The team turned around at that point and had to choose between sticking together and fighting through it and getting to the next level, or just leaving the season and hanging up the boots.”

The league title is the first for Kirsch in his five years guiding the Lions.

JSerra had come close to scoring on several occasions in the opening minutes Wednesday and finally broke through in the 22nd minute, with Sean Metague throwing in to Carvalho, who dribbled past a defender and then scored from a wide angle to give the Lions the lead.

The Lions’ second goal came in the 34th minute and was also off of a throw in. This time it was Nicolai Dejbakhish throwing in to Creighton Braun, who scored to make it 2-0.

The Lions made it 3-0 before halftime on Kendall’s perfectly hit chip shot over the keeper and into the net.

Kendall added his second goal midway through the second half and Carvalho got his second off a free kick.

Mater Dei defeated the Lions in their first league meeting on Jan. 22. The Lions then lost to Santa Margarita before finishing the regular season with three victories and a tie.

“You could feel their energy the entire game,” Mater Dei coach Sean Ganey said. “The first time we played them it was 4-0 and they came for vengeance for sure. We came into the game knowing we were guaranteed a piece of the league championship. We weren’t going to take chancres with yellow cards or anything like that. We made sure we kept our lineup intact for next week.”

The CIF-SS playoff pairings will be released Saturday morning.

LOS ANGELES — All those 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, from the hand of Landry Shamet, were the sauce.

The meat of the Clippers’ victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday came on the defensive end, tenderized by center Ivica Zubac.

The Heat led at halftime, 58-55, running the offense through center Bam Adebayo, a first-time All-Star, and getting three 3-pointers from UCSB alum Gabe Vincent (he would miss his eight other shots).

Zubac didn’t really have a low-post guy to play against. “I had to go out on the floor and watch the back cuts,” he said.

But eventually, the game comes into the deep paint, and Zubac was waiting.

He blocked two shots by Kendrick Nunn in the first two minutes of the second half. Miami’s Jimmy Butler left with an injury. Miami was already holding out James Johnson and Justise Winslow, pending a trade with Memphis for Andre Igoudala. The batteries were low.

The Clippers banged home seven 3-pointers in the first 7:10 of the quarter. Behind 87-78, Adebayo got into the lane against Zubac, tried a ball fake, looked outside, looked in again, and Zubac never abandoned his sense of verticality.

So Adebayo was called for a 3-second violation. When Zubac got to the bench he got a rousing high-five from assistant coach Sam Cassell.

“Sam’s always on me,” Zubac said, smiling, “telling me to improve. Tonight I did everything he told me to do, and I did it right.”

And the Clippers went on to stroke 24 3-pointers in 54 tries and run away from Miami 128-111.

“I had to guard a big who handles the ball a lot,” Zubac said. “It’s a different role than usual, not being in the paint. We made a couple of mistakes, but we did a better job in the second half.”

The Heat shot 9 for 25 in that quarter and got blitzed 37-22. Miami played a more insistent fourth quarter and got to within seven with 2:23 left, but the Clippers found Shamet twice in the corner, and those buckets boosted the Clippers to 36-15, second-best in the Western Conference.

“I’ve gotten better at calling out coverages, communication, and being vertical when they’re attacking me in the paint,” Zubac said. “I do a better job of standing in front of the guards than I used to. I can take it to a higher level as far as reading the offenses, reading where all of our guys are, so I can get into the right position.”

Shamet’s 23 points led a 70-point volley from the Clippers’ bench, but Zubac hit all six of his shots and had three blocks and eight rebounds. He is only being asked to play 18 minutes per game and got to 21 in this one.

A year ago Friday, the Lakers shipped Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers for Mike Muscala. It was a crosstown present that the Clippers used to win their way into the playoffs and take two road games from Golden State in their first-round series. As we later saw, the Lakers had to clear space for more established 7-footers, and you can’t keep and pay everybody. But the change has been outstanding for Zubac, who does not turn 23 until March.

The trade deadline is Thursday (noon PT), and teams like the Heat had to go through the motions of a basketball game while pursuing the serpentine logistics of an NBA trade (or two – Miami is reportedly in pursuit of former Clipper Danilo Gallinari, now with Oklahoma City).

For the first time in a long time, the Clippers weren’t really involved in the deadline shuffle, although that can change, of course.

“It doesn’t really feel like the deadline is happening in this locker room,” Zubac said. “Nobody’s really talking or thinking about it. You can’t do anything about it.

Which, of course, is the way every player in every sport should look at trades, unless you’re being dealt because you have one of those (dramatic whisper) “expiring contracts,” and your value is dependent on how quickly you can be expunged. Otherwise, players should only start worrying when they quit hearing the rumors.

According to Coach Doc Rivers, the Clippers improved with each pass. In one third-quarter possession, all five players on the floor touched the ball, and Kawhi Leonard capitalized with a jumper.

“It was all ball movement,” Rivers said, “because our spacing was so bad in the first half. Guys were saying they could drive the ball and I was saying, no, let’s shoot it. Miami was playing zone and we couldn’t see what we should be doing. In the second half, we did that.”

Generally, other NBA teams should want to trade with the Clippers. It’s preferable to trading baskets.

.@ivicazubac, who grabbed career rebound number 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ tonight, talks with @Kristina_Pink about his strong night & the victory.#ClipperNation • @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/OotTut2fsV

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 6, 2020

ARCADIA — Los Angeles basketball fans might not be familiar with this, but whenever a college team pulls off a significant win, the students charge past the ushers and the rent-a-cops and occupy the territory.

The phenomenon is called Storm The Court.

Last November, Flavian Prat was on a horse named Storm The Court in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. They jumped into the lead and stolidly turned away all the favored horses, which meant all of them. Storm The Court was a 45-to-1 shot and now was a 2-year-old champion. Its delirious believers stormed the cash windows.

On Sunday, Storm The Court returns to Santa Anita with a shorter price and longer ambition.

He will be in the center of everyone’s binoculars at the San Vicente Stakes. There will be challengers, like Nadal, trained by Bob Baffert, the Stable Genius of the sport.

In terms of relevance to the Kentucky Derby, this is maybe the New Hampshire primary, and the authentics are being separated from the knock-offs (Baffert has a contender named Authentic, too).

But Storm The Court cost his owners $60,000 at the Ocala (Fla.) Sale, has won two of four races, and has brought in $1.1 million. He was the 2-year-old champion in 2019. He is literally playing with house money.

“We’ve learned that he can be challenged,” trainer Peter Eurton said. “He was challenged three times in the Breeders’ Cup. He doesn’t like to relinquish. He’s a fighter. You could tell that by how tired he was after the race.

“Until they run, you don’t know. You see the talent but you can’t tell about the will. He has a tremendously strong will.”

Storm The Court had to fight to win his first race at Del Mar last August. In the Futurity, the Labor Day showcase for 2-year-olds, he and Baffert’s Eight Rings rammed into each other coming out of the gate.

When Storm The Court finished third to Eight Rings in the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, Eurton and Prat thought he was jittery in traffic. They put a half-blinker on Storm The Court and waited for the Breeders.

The favorite was Dennis’ Moment, but he took a spill at the beginning and was out of the mix. Storm The Court went to the lead. Eight Rings challenged but then stalled out at the top of the stretch. Anneau d’Or took a run but came up short.

“Considering the odds, nobody was paying much attention to us, but it was an honest pace,” Eurton said. “You would have thought Eight Rings was in the garden spot, just off the pace, but he didn’t fire.

“I loved where we were. It’s just like when Champagne Room (winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2016) was sitting outside. Speed is very dangerous on this racetrack.”

Disrespect for the odds runs in the family. In 2011, Court Vision was a 44-to-1 shot at the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs and was seven lengths behind with a half-mile to go. Then he whooshed to victory and took Turalura with him. The $2 exacta paid $1,939. Court Vision sired Storm The Court.

Owner Ryan Exline is a basketball fan from Indiana who has another horse named Shooters Shoot. Partner Justin Border is from northern California. David Bernsen, a part-owner of Breeders’ Cup champs Stormy Liberal and Roy H, is also involved.

“They’re excited. Why wouldn’t they be?” Eurton said. “People call it Derby Fever but I call it Derby Excitement. There are so many fun things that come with it. The most fun is watching your horse train every day.”

Eurton got to Louisville with Dance With Fate in 2014. The horse got bumped around in the Derby traffic and eventually finished an honest sixth to California Chrome. Eurton said he didn’t enjoy the atmosphere much, got “too nervous.” He hopes Storm The Court gives him a chance to adjust his attitude.

“That’s easier said than done,” he said.

Eurton went to the stalls, walked past Royal Act, which finished second to Thousand Words on Saturday in the Robert Lewis Stakes, and patted Storm The Court on the head. He then went around the corner and pointed out Exaulted, who was runner-up to Nadal.

“Storm is a tall colt but not that thick,” Eurton said. “This one is just big. He’s about 1,200 pounds, and Storm is probably about 1,120. Storm is a wide receiver, this one’s a tight end.”

A tight-ratio colt has the quick steps needed at Churchill Downs. We do know that Storm The Court’s next visit to the winner’s circle will be calmer. After all, he’s been there before.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Josh Green dove onto the floor and wrestled the loose ball away from a group of players before flipping it to Nico Mannion, who quickly fired another pass to Zeke Nnaji, wide open for the easy dunk.

Three Arizona freshmen. One more impressive play that shows how these Wildcats keep getting better.

Mannion scored 20 points, Nnaji and Green each added 18 and No. 23 Arizona held on for an 85-80 win over USC on Thursday night.

“We’re still 18, 19 years old, so we’re still getting comfortable playing this game in college,” Mannion said. “It’s all still pretty new for us. But the more games we have, the more comfortable we get and all three of us work really hard.”

Arizona (16-6, 6-3 Pac-12) has won five of its past six and was in full control for most of this one until the final minutes.

The Wildcats led by as many as 20 during the second half, pushing to a 63-43 advantage with 12:55 remaining. USC slowly chipped away and pulled within 83-80 with five seconds left on a 3-pointer by Jonah Mathews, but Mannion responded with a pair of free throws to stop the rally.

“They’re a good team obviously and it’s not easy to play a full 40 minutes of defense,” Mannion said. “We slipped up a little. We weren’t as locked in as we should have been and they hit some good shots.”

Said Arizona coach Sean Miller: “We have a very young group. We have a group with a lot to learn. We’re very fortunate to win tonight.”

Mannion scored 12 of his points on free throws. Nnaji grabbed 11 rebounds.

USC (17-6, 6-4) has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Trojans were led by freshman Onyeka Okongwu with 23 points. Daniel Utomi added 22. USC lost despite shooting 28 of 56 (50%) from the field.

Two of USC’s usual starters — Mathews and forward Nick Rakocevic — didn’t start the game because of what the school called a “violation of team rules.” They both checked in at the first timeout with 13:37 left in the first half with USC trailing 12-9.

USC coach Andy Enfield said he didn’t think the two starters’ early absence was a big factor in the loss, but the Trojans still made too many mistakes to fall into a 20-point hole before the late rally.

“We had some really dumb turnovers that led to some transition baskets for them and that hurt us,” Enfield said. “We gave them an opportunity to get out in front. To give our guys credit, they battled, played hard and got some stops.”

Arizona led 43-33 at halftime and was led by Green’s 12 points, including three impressive dunks.

“He was flying around tonight, had great energy,” Mannion said. “He had a few steals, got out in transition and that’s where he’s best.”

BIG PICTURE

USC: The Trojans have hit a small skid with two straight losses in conference play. It’s still a physical team that could finish near the top of the Pac-12 and should be helped by playing five of its next eight games at home.

Arizona: The Wildcats are building momentum as the regular season hits its final four weeks. Green, Mannion and Nnaji are playing like veterans and the team’s role players are providing great all-around minutes. The win was also the 400th of Miller’s career.

UP NEXT

USC travels to face Arizona State on Saturday.

Arizona hosts UCLA on Saturday.

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Buena Park senior Isabelle Avalos has been known as an excellent shooter but she took her reputation to another level Thursday.

The 5-foot-9 guard sank an Orange County record 13 3-pointers in a 72-40 victory against visiting Fullerton in the Freeway League finale for both schools.

Avalos scored all of her career-high points from beyond the arc to break the 2018 county record of former Brea Olinda All-County guard Stephanie Lee, now playing as a freshman at Biola.

“She was on fire,” Buena Park coach DeAnthony Wiley said of Avalos, who is uncommitted.

Avalos made 13 of 21 3-point attempts.

She was hottest in third quarter. After making five 3-pointers in the first half, she made six in the third period.

“It all happened organically,” Wiley said.

Buena Park improved to 15-12 overall, 4-6 in the challenging Freeway League. The Coyotes finished fourth in league and hope to receive at-large berth Sunday to the CIF-SS Division 4AA playoffs. They highlighted their league season by defeating Division 1 Sonora.

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VILLA PARK – Canyon was without its starting point guard and one of its better defensive players.

Canyon, though, has a penchant for winning games one might not expect it to win.

The Comanches did it again Thursday, defeating Villa Park 52-42 at Villa Park High to win the Crestview League boys basketball championship outright.

The Comanches finished with a 6-0 league record. Canyon, ranked No. 6 in the Orange County top 25, takes a 19-9 overall record into the CIF-SS playoffs that begin next week. The playoff brackets will be released Sunday.

Jake Stryker of Canyon after a 52-42 win over Villa Park that gave the Comanches the Crestview League championship ⁦@ocvarsity⁩ ⁦@ocvarsityguy⁩ pic.twitter.com/CbXUkfXQZJ

— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) February 7, 2020

No. 7 Villa Park finished second in league with a 4-2 record. The Spartans (24-4) and Canyon will be in the Division 1 playoff bracket.

With junior point guard Liam Woodrum and senior guard Joey Rouly out with injuries, and with senior guard Jake Martin not scoring like he did in Canyon’s win over Villa Park two weeks ago, every Canyon player had to come through, and every Canyon player did.

Junior forward Joey Sparacino scored 12 points, senior forward Nathan Williams scored 11 and junior forward Jake Stryker scored 10. Michael Ramirez, a junior who started at point guard, scored nine points and junior forward Cody Jones had nine rebounds.

Those five and every other Comanche who played contributed to a superb defensive effort that shut out Villa Park in the third quarter.

“They scored 22 in the first half,” Stryker said, “and nothing in the third? That was amazing.”

Martin, who scored 24 points when the Comanches beat Villa Park 53-52 on Jan. 24, was limited to six points Thursday.

The game was played at the brisk, intense pace that is common to a Canyon-Villa Park game. Canyon had an 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Villa Park brought a 22-21 lead into halftime.

The Spartans were 0 for 12 from the field in the third quarter and were outscored 10-0.

Stryker sparked the Comanches with three inside baskets on three consecutive possessions. The Comanches took a 31-22 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Canyon scored nine of the fourth quarter’s first 12 points, including a three-point play by Ramirez, and had a 40-25 lead with 5:32 to go. Villa Park would get no closer than 11 points after that.

It wasn’t Canyon’s most dramatic boys basketball win. Five years ago in a CIF championship game, Canyon trailed Lawndale by 22 points going into the fourth quarter and won 103-98 in double overtime.

But Thursday’s win, for the league championship in their top rival’s packed and noisy gym, was memorable enough.

“Pretty gutsy,” summarized Canyon coach Nate Harrison. “We were missing two starters. If there are tougher kids in the county, I don’t know where they are.”

IRVINE — UC Irvine is atop the Big West Conference standings in large part because of its four senior starters, but there’s no denying the contributions that have come from junior Brad Greene and three freshmen.

Greene, the 6-foot-11 center who has blossomed after taking a redshirt season, led the Anteaters with 17 points and 12 rebounds in an 83-72 victory over UC Davis on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center.

Greene shot 7 for 13 from the field and posted his sixth double-double of the season, adding two assists. Collin Welp added 13, Tommy Rutherford 12 points and nine rebounds and Evan Leonard 10 points and six assists for UCI (15-9 overall, 7-1 Big West).

Jeron Artest, the freshman guard and son of former NBA player Metta World Peace, had a career-high nine points and two assists, and fellow freshman Isaiah Lee hit two 3-pointers.

The Anteaters led by as much as 20 points but had a five-minute scoring drought late in the second half that allowed the Aggies (9-15, 3-5) to get within five points at 73-68 with less than four minutes left.

Welp hit a turn-around jumper, Eyassu Worku scored on a drive and Greene hit two free throws to stop the rally in its tracks.

“We kind of controlled the last game we played at Davis, and got out to a lead tonight and then kind of relaxed,” UCI coach Russell Turner said after the win, the Anteaters’ seventh in their last eight games. “That’s part of why you have to challenge the players even when you get a lead because you can lose it that fast.

“I always believe you win because of your defense, rebounding and effort, and we always get tested no matter who we play. The team at the bottom of the league has beaten us this season. It’s one of the hardest things for a college player to learn.”

Part of UCI’s success has been its commitment to defense and Turner being willing to play his freshmen in tough situations. The playing time for Artest, Lee and Austin Johnson has increased with each week of the season.

“Jeron and Isaiah have taken good shots when they’ve had the chance, and they’ve grown more confident in themselves,” Turner said. “Austin has been productive on defense and rebounds and didn’t play as much tonight because Brad and Tommy were playing so well.”

“All of the older guys have helped get the freshmen get caught up in the system,” Artest said. “They keep telling us we’re not freshmen anymore. It does help your confidence when the coach gives you opportunities.”

“We’re pretty honest with our recruits,” Turner said. “We tell them we expect them to play, and there’s a track record they can look at and see how much we’ve depended on our young guys in the past.”

John Edgar Jr., meanwhile, had his sixth straight all-around stout game, with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. He’s scored 49 points, pulled down 35 rebounds and had 16 assists in his last six games.

“My effort, defense and rebounding are the best parts of my game, and I’ve worked hard on my handling of the ball this season,” Edgar said.

The Aggies kept pace and drew within three points when Artest put together a series of big plays. He hit a 3-pointer from the wing, had a nice inside pass to Greene for a basket and then came back with another 3-pointer.

The Anteaters ended the half with a flurry, Lee, Edgar and Welp hitting 3-pointers to take a 44-33 lead into the break. They led by 20 early in the second half at 57-37 before the Aggies took advantage of a series of UCI missed shots, including six missed free throws, late in the game.

UCI, which has a 1½-game edge on second-place Hawaii (5-2), now begins an extended stretch of road games – five of its next six – starting Saturday night at UC Santa Barbara.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Playing short-handed, UCLA’s run of quality games ended with a clunker in the desert.

Down one of its best big men, the Bruins threw double-teams at Romello White throughout Thursday’s game, and Arizona State’s big man did a good job of kicking it out to his teammates on the perimeter for open shots.

And the Pac-12’s worst 3-point shooting team made them. Lots of them.

Alozo Verge Jr. scored 26 points, Remy Martin added 15 and Arizona State made 14 3-pointers in an 84-66 win over UCLA.

“It was just a matter of time,” Verge said. “Everybody just bought into what we were trying to do, just moving the ball.”

Arizona State (14-8, 5-4 Pac-12) entered the game shooting 30 percent from beyond the arc.

The Sun Devils found their range against UCLA, shooting the Bruins out of the gym by making 14 of 24 3-point attempts. Verge, Kimani Lawrence and Khalid Thomas all went 3 for 3 from the arc.

Martin was the cog making Arizona State’s offense click, finishing with seven assists. White had 16 rebounds, eight points and all of those effective kickouts.

“Top to bottom, both ends of the floor it was probably one of our more complete games,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said.

UCLA (12-11, 5-5) labored without top rebounder and second-leading scorer Jalen Hill, who sprained his right knee in practice this week.

The Bruins couldn’t stop the Sun Devils from the perimeter and couldn’t get their own shots to fall, either, finishing 7 for 25 from the 3-point arc.

Cody Riley had 16 points and Tyger Campbell 13 to lead UCLA.

“Obviously they shot the ball very well, but a lot of it was our transition defense,” Campbell said. “We didn’t get back and that’s a big thing for us.”

The Bruins and Sun Devils have been inconsistent this season, but both teams have played better lately to stay in the thick of the Pac-12 race.

UCLA arrived in the desert with four wins in five games, including a four-point win over then-No. 20 Colorado.

The Sun Devils rallied from 22 points down to beat rival Arizona and entered Thursday’s game with three wins in four games.

UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer was on-hand to introduce the Sun Devils and it seemed to hype both teams, who combined to hit nine of 14 shots by the first media timeout.

The Sun Devils kept making shots. The Bruins did not.

Arizona State made 8 of 10 from 3-point range in the first half. UCLA used a 10-0 run to briefly cut its deficit to one, but ASU closed the first half on an 11-1 run to take a 39-28 lead into the locker room.

The Sun Devils stretched the lead to 16 in the opening five minutes of the second half and kept making 3-pointers to give the Bruins no shot at the comeback.

“I feel like we had a lot of good looks, they just weren’t falling,” Campbell said. “Hopefully they’ll fall next game.”

UP NEXT

UCLA plays at No. 23 Arizona on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Arizona State hosts USC on Saturday at 7 p.m.

LOS ANGELES — If there were doubts about how UCLA would play without stars Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles this season, the Bruins put many of them to rest in Thursday night’s season opener at Easton Stadium.

Sparked by an explosive eight-run second inning and some impressive debuts, third-ranked UCLA opened the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament by crushing Cal State Bakersfield 14-0 in a game shortened to five innings via the 10-run rule.

Even with Garcia and Nickles redshirting this season so they can play for the U.S. Olympic team, the Bruins proved they still feature a formidable roster. They got three home runs from newcomers – two from junior Delanie Wisz and one from freshman Maya Brady – and a steady performance from sophomore pitcher Megan Faraimo, who struck out 12 in a one-hit shutout.

“I think it’s always exciting day one, but I think the best thing is you get to see so many new faces and I think that part of it was a little bit of an unknown for us as well,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said.

All UCLA needed in this one was that second inning.

UCLA (1-0) loaded the bases with no outs thanks to a double from Wisz and back-to-back walks from Faraimo and Seneca Curo. Sophomore Kelli Godin kept the line moving with a run-scoring bloop single to center, then junior Kinsley Washington cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right-center field for a 5-0 lead.

That led Bakersfield (0-1) to make its first pitching change, with Talia Nielsen relieving Daryn Hitzel, but the rally was far from over.

Briana Perez followed with a bunt single and alertly took second when nobody was covering the base. Aaliyah Jordan then tapped a slow roller to the right side for an out, but both Washington and Perez were able to score on the play to increase the lead to 7-0. One out later, freshman Alyssa Garcia singled up the middle, then Wisz blasted a two-run home run over the center field fence for a 9-0 lead.

“It’s easy when it’s easy,” Inouye-Perez said. “When they’re cranking balls and they’re feeling good, everybody wants the stick, that’s always fun.”

Brady, the niece of six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady – drove in the Bruins’ first run of the night with a first-inning double, then homered in the third inning.

Wisz, from Orcutt, Calif., joined the Bruins’ roster in January after playing her first two years at nearby Loyola Marymount. For the past four years, she’d watched her older sister, Stevie, play for UCLA, wanting so badly herself to be a part of the Bruins’ program.

On Thursday, Delanie got her chance and finished 3 for 3 with the two home runs, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored.

“It was kinda surreal,” she said. “This has been my dream school literally since I started playing softball, so just to get to wear the Bruin uniform is awesome.”

As a team, UCLA finished with 13 hits and just one strikeout. Washington had two hits and three RBIs and Perez added two hits and two RBIs. Jordan had three RBIs.

Faraimo struck out out 12 of the 19 batters she faced, and Bakersfield’s lone hit was a bunt single in the third inning. Faraimo struck out the side in the fourth and fifth and two apiece in her first three innings, needing just 72 pitches to get through five innings.

The five-team tournament continues through Sunday, with the Bruins set to face Cal Poly (SLO) next on Friday at 7 p.m. before playing doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. UCLA will face Bakersfield once more when the teams meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m.

NOTABLE

Prior to Thursday’s game, the Bruins unveiled a new panel on their outfield wall to recognize the team’s 2019 national championship.

A banner evening!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/HdPu5a67W8

— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) February 7, 2020

First home run of 2020! First jolly rancher for Delanie Wisz! #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/anyu08YVvm

— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) February 7, 2020

LOS ANGELES — For one night at least, shooting got the best of size.

Standing as a contrast to the Lakers’ length-heavy philosophy, the rebuilt Houston Rockets offered an interesting counterpoint in what is admittedly a small sample size: A lineup with no one taller than 6-foot-7 knocked around the Lakers in the closing minutes, going on a 19-5 closing run to secure a 121-111 win on Thursday night.

It didn’t ring of a fatal flaw for the Lakers (38-12), who have split their two meetings with Houston so far this season. But it was a compelling quandary to consider after the team went through several reported flirtations with some roster changes at the Thursday trade deadline before standing pat.

“It’s really not that much different than what we see with a lot of teams that have centers that shoot threes,” Coach Frank Vogel said. “The difference is they have two elite, elite superstar offensive players who you’re trying to figure out how to guard, with five 3-point shooters out there. So it’s a challenge.”

Anthony Davis was among the game’s standouts with 32 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James had another 18-point, 15-assist double-double (with nine rebounds) while showcasing highlight dunks against the Rockets’ largely undefended rim. But Houston’s edge came from deep: The Rockets finished with 19 3-pointers to the Lakers’ nine, outscoring them by 30 from beyond the arc.

Combined with a bruising 41-point game from Russell Westbrook, who the Lakers couldn’t convincingly slow down, the small-ball assault was effective as the Rockets committed to it whole-heartedly.

“It’s tough because you have to control Russ’ ability to get into the paint which he did a lot tonight, but also be able to control their perimeter shooting,” James said. “We didn’t do a very good job of both.”

The Rockets were among the most active teams at the deadline, retooling to the extreme around a small-ball, shooting-forward philosophy by adding Robert Covington – who made his Houston debut with 14 points, eight rebounds and a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the final minutes – and shipping out center Clint Capela. Houston still has 7-footers Tyson Chandler and Isaiah Hartenstein on its roster, but neither played Thursday.

The Lakers predictably attacked this with force in the post, throwing lob attempts to Davis, who muscled his way past 6-5 P.J. Tucker to lead the Lakers on the night. While he curled the ears of referees for hidden jostling that he believed were fouls underneath him in the post, Davis nevertheless found ways to finish. He sprained his right index finger shortly before halftime, but he returned to start the second half with a wrap on his hand.

The Lakers caught one former MVP on an off-night. Against constant Lakers blitzes and double-teams, as well as the pressure of Avery Bradley, Harden was merely ordinary, shooting just 3 for 10 for 14 points – a far cry from his league-leading average of 35.8 ppg.

The equalizer for much of the night was the Rockets’ 3-point shooting: They were 10 for 18 from deep in the first half, after which the teams were tied at 63 apiece. Covington hit two of the last nails with 3-pointers in the closing run that shut the door on the Lakers’ comeback. The Lakers only outrebounded their opponent by one.

Whereas the Lakers had some success in the last meeting guarding Westbrook with Kyle Kuzma, Westbrook’s explosive drives were a problem throughout this one.

The Lakers created their own problems, Vogel said, by forcing the ball to Davis down low. The short-lineup Rockets ended up with more blocked shots (five) than their hosts, and six fourth-quarter turnovers helped cinch the result. The Lakers also felt they could have handled weak-side passing better than they did, at times abandoning their free-flow passing philosophy.

“That was our game plan, though, to try to set screens, slip and force a switch, whether the guys who handle the ball drive or we throw it over the top,” Davis said. “But it was some plays where I got the ball where I could have had some kick-outs.”

That doesn’t mean there was no whiff of change coming – a tantalizing possibility had a second-row seat in the Staples Center crowd. After a rumored backroom meeting, point guard Darren Collison showed up for the second half of the game two seats from owner Jeanie Buss, taking in the action.

Multiple reports have said the 32-year-old, 6-foot point guard is mulling a return from retirement, which he entered abruptly this summer days before free agency opened. A former UCLA star who hails from Rancho Cucamonga, Collison has been linked with the Lakers and Clippers – but so far has not been spotted sitting next to Clippers ownership at a game. He was momentarily shown on the jumbotron to uproarious applause.

Collison played for the Indiana Pacers last season, averaging 11.2 points and 6 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range. The Lakers currently have a full 15-man roster and would need to drop a player to sign Collison or anyone else they might be interested in.

Vogel and his players declined comment on Collison, who implied to ESPN his interest was merely innocent.

“Just watching the game,” he said. “Ain’t nothing to it. Got the best seats in the house.”

The bench has a pretty good view, too.

"We were terrible with forcing the ball inside."
Frank Vogel on #Lakers turnovers disrupting their flow on offense. pic.twitter.com/ddipNEQZ8R

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 7, 2020

.@KingJames talks about how the Rockets were able to control the game down the stretch and Westbrook's impact with 41 points & 8 rebounds. #Lakers pic.twitter.com/IzLKBoxVZ2

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 7, 2020

.@AntDavis23 & @LakersReporter talk about costly turnovers down the stretch leading to easy transition baskets for the Rockets in tonight's #Lakers loss. pic.twitter.com/SG1zW8WTUH

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 7, 2020

"We were stagnant the entire game offensively."@kylekuzma discusses some of the difficulties the Rockets caused on offense and defense for the #Lakers with @LakersReporter. pic.twitter.com/NvDuPeMqrl

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 7, 2020

LEBRON JAMES BREAKS OUT THE REVERSE JAM!

: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/wOVLzbQDp2

— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2020

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LA HABRA — The Sonora boys basketball team did exactly what it wanted to do in its  Freeway League game against rival La Habra on Thursday at La Habra High School.

The Raiders got Daniel Esparza involved as often as possible, slowed the game down on both ends of the floor and kept the Highlanders’ best shooters from getting close to the basket.

In front of a loud, standing-room only crowd, the Raiders led from the first basket, dominated the final eight minutes and came away with a 64-38 victory to go undefeated in league and win the league title outright.

The Raiders finished the regular season 23-5 overall and 10-0 in league. Had the Highlanders (19-9, 8-2) won, the teams would have shared the league title.

Instead, the Highlanders will go into the CIF-SS playoffs as the league’s second-place team. Their only two league losses were against Sonora.

The Raiders outscored the Highlanders 20-7 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

“We did not want to lose” said Esparza, who led all scorers with 19 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds. “We didn’t want to share with our rivals. We wanted to get this win, especially for our fans.”

The Raiders opened the contest on a 7-0 run, aided by Ian Jones’ 3-pointer. Sonora closed out the second quarter with a 9-0 run to take a 29-21 halftime lead.

The Raiders never let the Highlanders back into the game during the second half and only allowed more than 10 points in one of four quarters.

“We tried to make it as hard as we could on (their shooters),” Sonora coach Mike Murphy said. “We just wanted to keep them in front of us because we didn’t want to get spread out. We wanted to make them shoot every shot contested.”

The Raiders closed out the third quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Esparza to take a 44-31 lead.

“I think Daniel is one of the best players in the county,” Murphy said. “When he gets it going, he is just unbelievable. When he gets it going, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

Tobin Igros pulled down eight rebounds for the Raiders, including five from the offensive end

Dominic Prittchet led the Highlanders with 14 points and Willie Rosales contributed eight rebounds.

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A roundup of the Orange County boys basketball highlights on Thursday:

Jacksyn Foti made a buzzer beater to give San Juan Hills a 41-39 win over Dana Hills on Thursday that made the Stallions automatic qualifiers for the CIF-SS Division 3AA playoffs.

San Juan Hills (11-17, 5-3) needed to win to force a tie with Dana Hills for second place in the Sea View League standings. As a second-place team, the Stallions receive an automatic berth in the playoffs, which begin next week.

@sjhhsbasketball defeats Dana Hills 41-39 with a buzzer beater by Jacksyn Foti. Stallions finish 2nd in SeaView League play. CIF playoffs next week. @ocvarsity @SouthOCsports @FrithRobert @sjhhsathletics @OCSportsZone @ZachCav @sjhstampede @SteveFryer pic.twitter.com/0m03CV0kte

— SJHHS BASKETBALL (@sjhhsbasketball) February 7, 2020

Grant Alarid had a team-high 11 points for San Juan Hills.

Dana Hills (18-8, 5-3), ranked No. 23 in Orange County, qualified for the Division 3AA playoffs.

In other games Thursday:

El Dorado 61, Yorba Linda 58: El Dorado upset North Hills League champion Yorba Linda in the regular-season finale at Yorba Linda High.

The Golden Hawks (17-10, 3-2) moved into second place in league and automatically qualify for the Division 3AA playoffs. If El Dorado had lost, it would have tied with Brea Olinda for second place.

Jacob Kang made two free throws for El Dorado with 20 seconds left to put the Golden Hawks ahead 59-58.

John Bakke had a game-high 25 points for El Dorado and Dane Kiefer added 13.

No. 10 Mission Viejo 55, No. 3 Capistrano Valley 53: Matt Daniel made a game-winning shot with four seconds remaining to give Mission Viejo an upset victory over Capo Valley in the South Coast League finale.

The loss was the only one in league for Capo Valley (25-3, 7-1), which will enter the Division 2AA playoffs as the league champion.

Mission Viejo (23-5, 5-3) suffered an upset loss to Aliso Niguel on Tuesday but bounced back against Capo. The Diablos gave the Cougars their toughest test earlier in the season, a 41-40 win by Capo Valley on Jan. 8.

Nathan Hewitt had a team-high 19 points for the Diablos. Presley Eldridge and Griff Higgins had 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Mission Viejo will represent the South Coast League as its second place team in the Division 2AA playoffs.

Crean Lutheran 69, Pacifica 60: Crean Lutheran clinched second place in the Empire League by beating Pacifica in the regular-season finale at Pacifica High.

Entering Thursday, if Crean Lutheran lost and Tustin beat Kennedy, the Saints would have tied Tustin for second place.

Michael Birket paced Crean Lutheran (16-10, 7-3) with 15 points. Freshman Ben Abate had 14 points and 6-foot-11 sophomore James Agany added 13 points and eight blocks.

Tyler Fabisiak led Pacifica (14-14, 2-8) with 28 points in the last game of his high school career.

No. 17 Tesoro 58, Laguna Hills 26: Tesoro dominated Laguna Hills to win the outright Sea View League championship for the second consecutive season.

The Titans built a 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Matt DeAngelo scored 18 of the 22 points in the first quarter and finished the game with 33 points and seven 3-pointers. Mike Mahlen and Chase Smaker each added seven points for Tesoro (21-4, 7-1).

The Titans will be the No. 1 seed from the Sea View League in the Division 2AA playoffs.

SEA VIEW CHAMPS! 21-4 (7-1) for 2nd straight year w/ 58-26 win @ Laguna Hills. Titans jumped out to a 22-0 lead after 1Q, led 33-8 @ half, & cruised from there using a full lineup. DeAngelo 33 pts on (7) 3’s & 7 reb, Mahlen 7 pts & 4 ast, & Smaker 7 pts for Titans pic.twitter.com/EL0nYE3LYc

— Tesoro Basketball (@Tesoro_Hoops) February 7, 2020

No. 25 Trabuco Hills 55, No. 22 San Clemente 52 (OT): Trabuco Hills upset San Clemente in overtime in a South Coast League game at Trabuco Hills High.

Trabuco Hills (15-12, 2-6) finished last in the South Coast League and is unlikely to receive an at-large spot in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs.

Joey Longo led the Mustangs with 16 points and had three steals. Carson Haskell added nine points.

San Clemente (16-12, 3-5) lost its last four league games after a strong 3-1 start. It finished league tied with Aliso Niguel for third place. The Tritons will hope to make the Division 2A playoffs as an at-large team.

No. 1 Mater Dei 64, No. 2 JSerra 51: Wilhelm Breidenbach had a strong performance to lead Mater Dei to a win over JSerra that gave the Monarchs the outright Trinity League championship.

Breidenbach, a 6-foot-9 junior, had a game-high 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Aidan Prukop had 11 points and Harrison Hornery had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Mater Dei (22-6, 9-1) will likely be Orange County’s lone representative in the Open Division playoffs.

JSerra (21-7, 6-4) finished third in the Trinity League and will likely be in the Division 1 playoffs. Max Bowman led the Lions with 19 points.

No. 9 Servite 76, No. 12 Orange Lutheran 72 (OT): Servite outlasted Orange Lutheran in overtime to secure fourth place in the Trinity League.

Servite (17-11, 3-7) will try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016 as an at-large team. The Friars would play in Division 3AA if they are granted a playoff bid.

Tajavis Miller had a team-high 26 points for the Friats and Kunal Bagga added 21.

Orange Lutheran (13-13, 1-9) ended the regular season with a 10-game losing streak and finished last in the Trinity League.

Northwood 71, Beckman 69 (OT): Shandon Sharifi made a game-winning shot with 5.5 seconds remaining in overtime to give Northwood an upset win over Beckman to move into third place in the Pacific Coast League.

Northwood (11-17, 6-4) would have tied University for third place if it had lost.

Sharifi had a game-high 28 points and made five 3-pointers. Amit Flint had 16 points and Trent Harper added 13.

Beckman (15-13, 7-3) finished the regular season in second place in the PCL and qualified for the Division 2AA playoffs. Freshman David Manea had 22 points for the Patriots.

No. 4 Fairmont Prep 69, Capistrano Valley Christian 48: Atin Wright had 31 points to propel Fairmont Prep to a dominant win over Capo Valley Christian and make the Huskies the co-San Joaquin League champions.

Fairmont Prep (19-8, 7-1) finished league play tied with Pacifica Christian for the league championship. The two teams split their two games this season.

Sophomore Kristian Jemerson had 18 points for the Huskies. Fairmont Prep will play in the Division 2AA playoffs.

Scottie McDowell led Capo Valley Christian with 14 points and made all of shots from the field. The Eagles (13-15, 3-5) finished tied with Saddleback Valley Christian for third place in the San Joaquin League.

TORONTO — The Ducks’ 22-26-7 record and their 14th-place standing in the 15-team Western Conference aren’t pleasing for anyone inside or outside of an organization that had grown accustomed to challenging the elite teams for NHL supremacy over the years.

Their 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday was further evidence that they’re no longer a team with even the modest goal of making a late charge at a playoff spot by season’s end. It was, after all, their second OT defeat in as many nights.

But the Ducks said they were proud of their effort Friday, of their fight, of the way they rallied from deficits of 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 to force the game to OT. As ever, they were perfectly imperfect, forced to atone for mistakes all over the ice, and then to scramble just to gain another standings point.

“At this time of year, there’s always a lot of outside noise,” Ducks center Derek Grant said, alluding to the looming Feb. 24 trade deadline without actually mentioning it. “But for us, our focus is on each game we play and the guys in this (dressing) room.

“I think over the past however many games, we’ve done a good job of just worrying about that game and trying to get those two points. You hear a lot of things, but for us, we believe in our group and we’ve shown we can play. We were down a couple of goals in the third and we battled back.

“That shows the kind of character we have in this team. There’s a lot of belief in each other.”

Grant’s career-high 13th goal of the season, with goaltender Ryan Miller on the bench in favor of a sixth attacker with 58 seconds left in the third period, sent the game to OT. Toronto’s John Tavares then won it with his second power-play goal of the game, with seven seconds left.

Nicolas Deslauriers, Max Jones (shorthanded) and Adam Henrique (power play) also scored for the Ducks, who outscored the Maple Leafs 3-1 and outshot them 15-4 in the third period. Jones’ goal gave the Ducks a noticeable lift after a lackluster second period.

“A lot was said, a lot of positive things were said,” Jones said of the dressing room conversation after the Ducks trailed 3-1 after two periods. “The veterans stood up and talked to everyone. Everyone really picked their heads up. Everyone knew we didn’t play well in the first or second periods.”

Goals from Andreas Johnsson, Tavares and Auston Matthews gave the Maple Leafs a 3-1 lead in their first game since acquiring goalie Jack Campbell and left wing Kyle Clifford from the Kings in a trade Wednesday. Jason Spezza broke a 3-3 tie with a goal with 3:27 remaining.

Grant tied it again, poking a loose puck between Campbell’s legs.

“I thought we fought hard. I thought we showed some good character and resilience.”

GUDBRANSON, KASE HURT

Defenseman Erik Gudbranson suffered an unspecified upper-body injury in a collision in the first period and did not return to the game. Right wing Ondrej Kase also could not finish the game after he received an elbow to the head from Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin in the third period.

It was uncertain whether either would play Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.

SHERWOOD RECALLED

The Ducks recalled Kiefer Sherwood from San Diego of the AHL and reassigned Daniel Sprong to the Gulls in a swap of young right wings. Sherwood, 24, had 14 goals and seven assists in 30 games with the Gulls this season. Sprong, 22, has nine goals and 15 assists in 31 games with San Diego.

Sherwood wasn’t in the Ducks’ lineup Friday.

The @AnaheimDucks just keep coming back

Make that 4⃣ goals on the night as were headed to over-time!#LetsGoDucks #WhatAThirdPeriod pic.twitter.com/VrooBrMooa

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 8, 2020

TIE GAME

A power-play goal from @AdamHenrique gives the @AnaheimDucks goals in just under 4 minutes #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/zmmoRyknmN

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 8, 2020

The Ducks now have their 10th short-handed goal of the season with this backhand from @Jones_Max19 #LetsGoDucks | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/O3SKUpu4qN

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 8, 2020

4⃣ overtimes in 3⃣ games for the Ducks @Jones_Max19 reflects on the tough loss w/ @AlysonLozoff #LetsGoDucks | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/9bCJgJOKS9

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 8, 2020

@Nicdeslauriers4 RIPS one into the top corner for his 2nd goal of the season! #LetsGoDucks | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/FY4PF2QdTW

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 8, 2020

LOS ANGELES — For all the talk, the spinning blades of the rumor mill that capture the attention of the NBA for weeks on end, within the Lakers’ walls, there seemed to be at least some sense of stability.

In the days before Thursday’s trade deadline, players and coaches alike skirted past the possibility that the roster would be shaken up. Anthony Davis and Danny Green suggested specifically that they expected Kyle Kuzma, the subject of the most rampant speculation, would be staying on.

As the deadline slid past without movement for the Lakers, the team looked back on it with a blasé attitude

“I don’t think any of our guys really had any strong reason to believe that’s something that would happen,” Coach Frank Vogel said. “We felt and we’ve said all along, we like our team, thinking about what we have going doing the stretch with this group.”

That approach is consistent with a season-long narrative about the Western Conference-leading Lakers (38-12), that they get along, that they’re focused and serious and concentrated on winning above all else. But it does little to quash a crawling sense around the deadline that other contenders, including the Clippers, Heat and Rockets, did more to bolster their odds.

There’s also a cold, underlying truth to the Lakers’ bet on themselves: They need some of the cast they kept to deliver a little more than they’ve been giving.

The bottom line of winning has kept the team and fanbase happy. It’s hard to argue with No. 1. But there are issues, raised again in Thursday night’s loss to Houston, that the Lakers haven’t finished addressing as the focus shifts ahead toward tinkering for a postseason run.

Some rhetorical issues of unrest: How is a roster built to emphasize 3-point shooting hovering just above league average (36.1 percent) on the season? How is a roster built to emphasize length just an average defensive rebounding team (72.9 percent, No. 16)? On a team where staggering stars theoretically insulates you from drop-off, why is LeBron James the only Laker who thrives even when he flies solo?

No team is perfect, and no team ends a season by resolving every question. But some of these have been notable shortcomings in the season’s biggest losses. And with no moves yet to address them, the Lakers have to hope answers come from within.

The shooting might be the most pressing, particularly coming off a night when the Lakers made more shots (45 to 43) than the Rockets but made 10 fewer 3-pointers. The Lakers’ season-long average is slight ahead of most of the league, but nearly every guard on the Lakers roster – including Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo, Quinn Cook and Troy Daniels – has seen his 3-point shooting dip from last season. Indeed, those five guards are shooting below their career averages (only Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a better 3-point average than last year).

That defies the conventional wisdom that James’ teams are bolstered by his passing, which has made him the top assist-man in the league. The Lakers are elite among the NBA’s catch-and-shoot teams (38.4 percent, 7th overall), but just average in 3-point attempts that are wide open: They’re hitting 38 percent according to NBA tracking data, which is 17th among NBA teams.

The other pressing matter lately that’s been curdling unrest is the lack of a second ball-handler, which helps explain some of the discrepancies for when James is on the court. The Lakers have outscored opponents by 409 points when he’s on the floor and been outscored by 50 points when he sits. No other member of the Lakers has this much sway in the team’s play: The Lakers have outscored opponents by at least 100 points when every other player has sat out.

The Lakers’ top 10 five-man lineups sorted by net rating that have played at least 25 minutes all have James in them. But opponents such as the Rockets and Clippers have seen some late-game success by pressuring the ball out of James’ hands, wearing him down as the game as gone on. Rajon Rondo has been a divisive back-up option, offering playmaking but appearing to carry a net drag on the team when he subs in (plus-1.7 net rating when he plays versus plus-9.0 rating when he sits).

Still, the confidence is high within the locker room, as one might expect from a team that’s generally been winning. They’ve found answers within before, the Lakers have said, and they can continue to do it down the stretch.

“I believe in this group,” Green said. “I know the pieces we have are good enough, so we just got to figure out our rotations, chemistry, rhythm and matchups and adjustments.”

For their playoff sakes, the Lakers had better hope so.

Jennifer Paterson walked around the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach on Friday afternoon, carrying a neon pink poster with “Free Hugs” written on it, obliging when people stopped her after reading her sign.

That spirit of camaraderie, inclusiveness, general good vibes filled the air — along with the odor of a certain plant  — as the fifth annual One Love Cali Reggae Festival opened its three-day run on Feb. 7.

“I’ve been coming for five years. I love the music, I like the people, everyone is really nice,” Paterson said as she walked around the festival, which included performances by acts such as Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Atmosphere, Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, Katastro and Cali Conscious on opening day.

“And you meet new friends,” she added, pointing to her friend Laith Atiyeh, whom she met at the concert last year.

“This is a great concert. I always look forward to it because the reggae community is just family, everyone feels included,” he said.

With a lineup of more than 80 bands, performing throughout the three-day event, many of them from Southern California, One Love marks the first music festival of the year at the busy ship.

And for some groups, it also marked a dream come true.

“It was a privilege and an honor to be here,” Justin Ratowsky, lead singer and guitarist for the Huntington Beach-based reggae surf-rock band Cali Conscious said shortly after the band played the fest’s opening set.

It was especially significant for Ratowsky, who has attended the festival every year, since his grandfather was in the armed forces and traveled on the Queen Mary when the ship ferried soldiers across the ocean during World War II.

“It was a really cool experience. It was his birthday yesterday so this felt good…the stage was right next to the line to get in so we know people were standing outside vibing to our set,” Ratowsky said.

Lines to get in as the doors opened were a bit slow with people waiting about 40 minutes or so to get into the venue, so there were only a few dozen people in front of the main stage when Hermosa Beach’s Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds performed a passionate half-hour set as people danced to the reggae rock beats.

“It’s always a good vibe here. We always give it all we have whether it’s one person or there’s a million, it’s all the same,” said Moises Juarez, the band’s lead singer as he stood backstage after their set.

“In my opinion, compared to the radio that’s watered-down this is more like truth music. It’s more like a vibe of humanity and has realness to it,” he said.

The festival continues Saturday with artists such as Rebelution, Stick Figure, Fortunate Youth and the Long Beach Dub All Stars.

Sunday’s lineup will include Iration, Slightly Stoopid, Common Kings and Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley.

Saturday’s passes are sold out, but there are still some tickets available for Sunday’s show via onelovecalifest.com.

With the 92nd Academy Awards on Feb. 9, 2020, we look at how popular film genres have changed over generations.

What’s a genre? The word is French and means type or category. There is no scientific method of assigning a film to genres, which began as a way filmmakers could easily cast and market their movies.

Genre refers to recurring, repeating and recognizable patterns including subject matter, characters or settings.

In the silent film era, many movies began to fall into categories such as Western, romance and horror.

As moviemaking advanced, more basic genres came about. The chart below has what are widely seen as the major movie genres.

According to filmsite.org, a website dedicated to rating films and film history, films were not subjected to genre analysis until the 1970s. All films fall into at least one major genre, although there are a number that are considered hybrids, with multiple overlapping subgenres (zombie romantic comedy, for example) that identify them.

All of this year’s best picture nominees have multiple genres and even more subgenres, but what they all have in common is they are dramas.

Genre bias?

It’s no coincidence that every film nominated for best picture this year is listed as a drama. A study done by entertainment news website Collider.com used data from the Internet Movie Database to see which genre won best picture the most from 1928-2010.

Winners may have multiple genres.

Here are some of the results:

1. Drama: Of 413 films nominated, 74 won. (17.9%)

2. Romance: Of 206 films nominated, 34 won. (16.5%)

3. Comedy: Of 98 films nominated, 14 won. (14.3%)

4. Biography: Of 67 films nominated, 14 won. (20.9%)

Note: In 2018 the best picture winner was “The Shape of Water.” The film could be put in several genres but is considered to be the first science fiction film to win best picture.

Genre popularity

Data journalist Bo McCready created this chart of film genre popularity from 1910-2018 based on the percentage of films released each year with their specified genre tagged on IMDB. The charts show that comedy has been the most consistently released genre. Horror and documentary films have been more frequently made in recent years, while Westerns and musicals have declined a lot since 1970. Horror and thriller films have also seen increases in recent decades.

2019 best picture nominees

Each has multiple genre listings on IMDB. They are shown with how much money they grossed. Two films made by Netflix were in theaters for only a few weeks before being streamed millions of times. Netflix has not released exact totals for those.

“Ford v Ferrari”

(Action, biography, drama)

Domestic box office: $111 million

Global box office: $211 million

“The Irishman”

(Biography, crime, drama)

Domestic box office: N/A

Global box office: $961,224

“Jojo Rabbit”

(comedy, drama, war)

Domestic box office: $21.9 million

Global box office: $30 million

“Joker”

(Crime, drama, thriller)

Domestic box office: $334 million

Global box office: $1.06 billion

“Little Women”

(Drama, romance)

Domestic box office: $74 million

Global box office: $107 million

“Marriage Story”

(Comedy, drama, romance)

Domestic box office: N/A

Global box office: $317,060

“1917”

(Drama, war)

Domestic box office: $39 million

Global box office: $60 million

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

(Comedy, drama)

Domestic box office: $141 million

Global box office: $372 million

“Parasite”

(Comedy, crime, drama)

Domestic box office: $25 million

Global box office: $132 million

At the box office

This chart from The-numbers.com shows the top genres’ market share of box office dollars from 1995-2020. Action and adventure have dominated since the late 1990s.

Sources: IMDB, Bo McCready (Twitter.com@boknowsdata), filmsite.org, Oscars.org, The-numbers.com, Collider.com

POMONA — Shawn Langdon, back in familiar territory on several fronts, grabbed the top spot in Top Fuel after the first of two days of qualifying Friday at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

After two years of trying his hand in Funny Car, the 37-year-old driver has returned to Top Fuel, where 18 times between 2009 and ’15, he qualified No. 1. Now he is on the verge of doing it again – if he can hold the No. 1 spot through Saturday’s two qualifying rounds.

The eliminator final rounds are scheduled for Sunday. However, the forecast calls for rain that day, possibly pushing the competition into Monday, which was the situation with last year’s Winternationals.

Langdon grew up in Mira Loma, located 21 miles east of Pomona, where he was a star pitcher and shortstop on the Jurupa Valley High baseball team. He passed up some college scholarship offers to pursue drag racing.

He fell in love with the sport when his father Chad used to reward him for good grades in elementary school by taking him to the Winternationals. Naturally, Langdon is fond of Pomona.

There might be a home-course advantage in play here.

“There are tracks you go to and it seems like everything just clicks,” he said. “I’ve had good success here.”

In 2013, he won both the Winternationals and NHRA Finals in Pomona while claiming the Top Fuel national championship.

In Friday’s second of two qualifying runs, Langdon, a member of the Kalitta Motorsports team, powered his DHL Toyota dragster to a 3.699-second run. That run enabled Langdon to steal the top spot from Brittany Force, the 2017 Top Fuel national champion whose time in the first round was 3.706 seconds. She recorded that time in her new Monster Energy dragster.

Leah Pruett (formerly Leah Pritchett before going back to her maiden name) dropped back a spot to No. 3 when, like Force, she failed to make a full run in round two. Defending Winternationals and NHRA Finals champion Doug Kalitta is currently in the No. 4 spot.

In Funny Car qualifying, Matt Hagan, who has enjoyed past success in Pomona, grabbed the No. 1 spot with a run of 3.867 seconds in the first round. He smoked his tires in the second run down the track.

Hagan’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman, the NHRA Finals winner here in November, claimed the No. 2 spot, and Robert Hight, the defending Winternationals champion as well as the defending national champion, is No. 3.

Alexis DeJoria, making her return to drag racing after a two-year hiatus, qualified ninth and drew praise from crew chief Del Worsham.

“This crew worked nonstop with no days off, not even Christmas, to put this all together,” he said. “I’m pretty proud after watching her go down the track.”

But maybe nothing tops what Ron Capps’ crew accomplished in order to race at these Winternationals.

The truck trailer hauling Capps’ car and all the equipment caught fire in the early morning hours Jan. 28 near Amarillo, Texas, while headed for time trials in Las Vegas. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Capps, interviewed on Fox Sports 1 after his second run, held back tears while saying, “I’m so emotional right now, after all it took just to get here. After 26 years of racing, I was more nervous going into this race than I ever was as a rookie. Now we just have to go out and win this thing.”

CARSON – It might have taken longer than they would have liked, but the Canadian women’s national soccer team finally found the breakthrough to book a trip to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In the 72nd minute, Canadian forward Jordyn Huitema cleaned up an initial missed opportunity and scored the game’s lone goal to give Canada a 1-0 win at Dignity Health Sports Park Friday night.

With the win, Canada qualifies for the Olympics. The program has been runner-up for the last three Olympics.

“The game plan was definitely to see if we could go in to out or out to in,” Canadian national team coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller said. “They (Costa Rica) sat very deep, we didn’t get the room we needed between the two lines and we didn’t have space to turn.

“We needed someone to break the line and there isn’t anybody better than Deanne Rose … when she came on, the game was a little bit more stretched, we had room to play behind more.”

Rose set up Huitema’s goal.

After a quick give-and-go with Ashley Lawrence, Rose sent in a low cross toward Huitema. Her first touch hit the right post, but she continued her run and tapped in the rebound before the ball could roll out of her direction.

“Getting other players with different skill sets on the pitch, like Deanne (Rose). The first game she played here she was on fire and I think she definitely lit the fire again when she entered the pitch.”

Canada stormed its way to Friday’s semifinal, winning all three games by a combined 22-0, with wins over Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and Mexico to win Group B.

“I think our performance in this tournament has been kind of consistent, but there was something about the performance today,” Heiner-Moller said. “You could tell the players definitely brought some nerves on the pitch.

The expected rout never materialized despite Canada holding most of the possession and creating the more dangerous chances.

Late in the half, Costa Rica had its best look, with a free kick approximately 20 yards away, but Katherine Alvarado’s attempt was cleared away.

Costa Rica never created anything else that put the Canadian defense in too much trouble.

“As the game was going on, the team’s confidence was growing,” Costa Rican coach Amelia Valverde said. “As we were passing the ball, there were moments that maybe we needed to make adjustments, but we made one mistake.

“We need to remember that there is a full project of development of women’s football in the country, we have U-20 tournaments, U-17 and U-15 tournaments and we have confirmed a friendly with Brazil.”

This was the second semifinal appearance for Costa Rica. The country has yet to qualify for the Olympics.

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Final 2019-2020 standings for the Orange County girls basketball leagues.

*Played third-place playoff game.

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Orange County fans don’t have to wait for the basketball playoffs to start to find out who won the biggest prize this winter.

We’re talking about being named the Orange County Basketball Student Section of the Year.

With the regular season over, we’re ready to announce the champion for the 2019-20 season and the final O.C. Top 25 Rankings.

This year’s list includes seven student sections that were not in the O.C. top 25 last season, including a fast-rising group that shot up all the way to No. 8.

But we also had to leave out several sections that made a strong impression this season. The Trabuco Hills Stampede, San Clemente Loud Crowd, El Modena Rowdy Rooters, Beckman Patriot Pit and Sunny Hills Lancer Nation will have to try again next year.

If you’re wondering, why wasn’t our student section included in the Top 25? We’d tell you that nearly every section that got noticed this year was active on social media and made sure I knew about them.

Enough talk, let’s get to the rankings.

OCVARSITY TOP 25

1. Capistrano Valley Cage (Last Year’s Ranking: 5)

At home or on the road, the Cage rattled anyone who stood in their way.

Beware of the Cage, because they will get in your head with their chants and the crazy-loud noise.

The Cage never shuts down or gives up, much like their basketball team.

It doesn’t matter how far the Cougars have to travel, the Cage will be there.

The Cage caught my attention in an intense battle at Mission Viejo where the game went down to the wire. The game ended with the fans rushing the court after a dramatic victory by the Cougars.

The best student section ever! So proud of the Cage and the boys tonight! LETS KEEP THE ENERGY GOING!! @SoCalSections @MAlvarez02 @CapoValleyHS pic.twitter.com/2u2yxlOZ0L

— CVHS CAGE (@CVHSCAGE) January 9, 2020

The @CVHSCAGE representing for tonight’s home game vs @SCHSTritons @SoCalSections @ocvarsity #WeAreCV pic.twitter.com/VNm7GsZZx3

— Capo Valley HS (@CapoValleyHS) January 11, 2020

The Cage kept the intensity at the same high level and battled with the best of them, and for that, the Capo Valley Cage is the 2020 OCVarsity Basketball Student Section of the Year!

“Yes!!” Cage leader Brooke Larsen said. “We are so excited to be the OCVarsity the Student Section of the Year! The Cage is the strongest it’s ever been and we are so honored to receive this award!”

2. Servite Asylum (Last Year: 1)

The Asylum kept the crazy going after last year’s insane themes. The Asylum packed the gym at home and on the road and sometimes even took over an opponent’s gym.

The Asylum was loud and the chants were funny. With an improved season from the Friars on the basketball court, the Asylum had plenty to cheer about.

Win or lose, the Asylum loves their brothers. Credo!

we came..we saw..we conquered Asylum out here taking names
WE ARE SERVITE@ocvarsity @MAlvarez02 @SteveFryer #ocvfans pic.twitter.com/JB5Bf6pyYf

— The Asylum (@ServiteAsylum) January 23, 2020

“People come to play a basketball game, but leave rattled by the Asylum,” The Asylum said in a statement. “Week in, week out, the Asylum is rattling other teams. We come to support our brothers.”

3. Villa Park Blue Crew (Last Year: 2)

Nothing changes during the school year with the VIlla Park student section. The only change is the name — from Black Pack (football) to Blue Crew (basketball).

While Steve Fryer and I enjoyed the love and the signs the Blue Crew made for us, no brownie points were given for that, this ranking was earned.

And I love you @ocvarsity @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/sZUmq1rd76

— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) February 7, 2020

The Blue Crew worked a strong social media game this year and matched it with a strong presence in the stands. It is no surprise that the Spartans only lost four games this season. The Blue Crew is quite the motivator.

“The Villa Park Blue Crew will always be cheering on our team,” Blue Crew leader Nathan Pham said. “We have so much spirit and pride for our school, and we always hope to put on a show. Spartans are #1!”

4. Northwood Den (Last Year: 13)

Although it wasn’t the typical season the Timberwolves have had in the past, it didn’t stop the Den. Opponents couldn’t focus at the free throw line with the student section located behind the backboard.

While they may have thought no one noticed them, we certainly did.

IT’S SILENT NIGHT IN THE DEN The Den stayed COMPLETELY silent until our team’s 8th point in honor of Kobe Bryant and the 8 other lives lost in the tragedy on Sunday morning @MAlvarez02 @SoCalSections @ocvarsity @SteveFryer #ocvfans @espn @ESPNLosAngeles #espntop10 pic.twitter.com/Tm6M1uGja4

— Northwood Den (@NorthwoodDen) February 1, 2020

“I thought that the Den was very under-the-radar this year,” The Den said in a statement. “Opposing teams hated when they had to shoot free throws on our side! We started many unique chants and even sang children’s songs. Anything to help our team win!! The highlight of our season was definitely our silent night, where our student section went crazy after our team scored their eighth point. People from other Pacific Coast League schools watched the video we tweeted out on Friday and said they wished they had a student section like ours.”

5. Canyon Tribe (Last Year: 3)

The Canyon Tribe has had one of the best basketball student sections over the past decade and they kept the tradition alive this season as they watched their Comanches take their third straight Crestview League title.

It helps to have a motivator on the bench, Canyon Superfan, assistant coach and Canyon Hall of Famer Mitchell Siegel.

The Tribe always brings their best during the Battle of the Hills against Villa Park. In order for the Tribe tradition to stay alive every game, the students had to buy in.

“At Canyon, The Tribe is more than just our student section,” Tribe leader Alex Robinson said. “It’s our school culture, our way of life. When we first got here, we all bought into it. And as I think you can see, this mindset really does goes a long way!”

6. Edison MESS (Last Year: 8)

After making a mess of the student section world last basketball season, the MESS kept the hype at a high this season. They were savages in the stands toward opponents and opposing student sections. If the noise wasn’t enough, the streamers inside the gym added a boost.

What I love about this student section is that it is all in fun and they show that after the game.

“This season picked up right where we left off,” MESS leader Cole Koffler said. “We made sure every team that played Edison heard us and we made sure our presence was felt throughout every gym we were in. The MESS turned into a mindset, which means no matter how many people were in the student section we were going to be the loudest group of people there. The students showed massive support for every sport this winter and we will continue to ride that momentum into the spring sports. Go Chargers! Let’s get MESSy.”

7. Los Alamitos Locos (Last Year: 12)

The Locos picked up where they left off during football season and went crazy!

The originators of the roller coaster, the Locos kept the crazy at a high and battled with other student sections while pumping the Griffins up in a tough Surf League.

When the LOCOS show up, you can’t drown them out @MAlvarez02 @SoCalSections #ocvfans pic.twitter.com/Q4fPn2D5H4

— Losal Locos (@LosalLocos) January 30, 2020

“Locos support for students doesn’t fade after fall, but continues to build school spirit for all sports,” the Locos said in a statement. “We rolled into basketball season and made each game a new theme, Loco style!”

8. Rosary Rowdy Royals (Last Year: Not Ranked)

I’ve never seen a student section as hyped up for their classmates than the Rowdy Royals. The cheers and chants are nonstop. If Rosary needed a boost of energy, the Rowdy Royals delivered it.

“There is no crazier, rowdier, red & gold-clad group of sports fans than the all-girl Rowdy Royals,” Rosary athletic director Tom Tice said. “Their energy, enthusiasm, dancing, and singing put our teams over the top.”

9. Sonora Jungle (Last Year: 9)

The Jungle is nothing to mess with at home. Battle with them and you will lose.

The Jungle opened the school’s new gym with crazy chants and loud noises and in return, enjoyed a Freeway League title from the Raiders.

“The Jungle is the cornerstone of our school spirit,” The Jungle said. “We run this Jungle!”

10. Newport Harbor Tarpit (Last Year: 11)

The Tarpit showed up and went wild this season and it was needed. Every game was important in the Surf League, including a road-game victory in the Battle of the Bay against Corona del Mar. That win may have been the difference in the Surf League title.

“I was quite impressed with the Tarpit this year during basketball season,” Newport Harbor sports analyst Teran Rodriguez said. “Despite the boys basketball team not having their first home game until the start of 2020, the Tarpit really showed their school spirit at boys basketball games, especially at home. One game that I thought the Tarpit made a huge difference in was the Battle of the Bay, overtime game at Corona Del Mar.”

11. Corona del Mar Kings Krew (Last Year: 16)

The Kings Krew were savages in the stands this season. No opposing player was safe from the Kings Krew as they came ready to rattle players and get in their heads. If rattling didn’t work, I’m sure the Teddy Bear toss confused the opponent.

Teddy Bear Toss!! The Kings Krew Rocks! @ocvarsity @OCSportsZone @SoCalSections @DailyPilotSport @OCStudSectionIG pic.twitter.com/Q19SafiaVb

— CDM ATHLETICS (@CDM_ATHLETICS) January 18, 2020

“Going to Kings Krew basketball games are always so much fun and spirited.” Kings Krew leader Lauren Jones said. “This year we started a new tradition of a Teddy Bear Toss. It was super awesome to see everyone in the crowd throw out a teddy bear onto the floor and for them to be donated.”

12. Orange Lutheran Code Red (Last Year: 7)

Despite a tough season in the Trinity League, Code Red still showed up and went wild for their Lancers. The rowdy student section gave opponents headaches this season.

13. La Habra Clan (Last Year: 4)

The Clan came ready to go to protect their Highlanders and the way they protect their team is by savage chanting. The Clan is enjoying fantastic play on a very colorful basketball court. It fits well with this colorful student section.

14. Santa Margarita Eagles Nest (Last Year: 6)

Although this season was a challenge for Santa Margarita, the Eagles Nest still showed up and supported their basketball squad. The Eagles Nest is one of the best every year.

15. Tesoro Titan Army (Last Year: 13)

The Titan Army made a quick last impression with a strong showing earlier this week. You assumed they were always there with the Titans having another tremendous year, but visual proof is the most important thing in the student section game and the Titan Army provided that.

16. Mission Viejo Diablo Inferno (Last Year: 21)

The Diablo Inferno showed up this season and spit that hot fire. The Inferno protected their home gym and showed their love for the Diablos in a tough South Coast League.

17. JSerra Pride (Last Year: Not Ranked)

You’d have Pride too if you have one of the best teams in the county. The Pride always gives the Lions a show and the Lions always return the favor.

18. Portola Dogpound (Last Year: Not Ranked)

This new student section has made big splashes this school year and they rocked it in the gym this season. I’m sure it was helpful in the Bulldogs’ run to the Pacific Coast League title.

19. Fairmont Prep Loud Crowd (Last Year: 23)

The Loud Crowd not only showed up and rattled opponents at home and on the road, but they got into the social media game and were eager to figure out what it took to handle every aspect of the student section game. This is a hungry crowd.

20. Pacifica Christian Wedge (Last Year: Not Ranked)

The Wedge might be a small student section, but they make up for it with crazy kids and loud noises! The Tritons battled to take a share of the league title in a tough San Joaquin League. Surfs up, Wedge!

21. St. Margaret’s Kitchen (Last Year: Not Ranked)

The Kitchen cooked things up this season as the Tartans had a huge year on their way to the Academy League title. This is a crazy and wild group of kids!

22. El Dorado Hawks Nest (Last Year: 20)

I love weird and this student section is weird! The crazy outfits and unique chants went well with the earliest edition of the toilet paper toss of the 2019-20 season.

23. Mater Dei Den (Last Year: Not Ranked)

Despite being overshadowed by the best basketball talent in the county, the Den still shows up and rattles opponents. At home or on the road, boys or girls basketball, the Den brings the heat.

24. Cypress CypHype (Last Year: 10)

This small, but mighty student section showed up and went crazy for their Centurions, which took their third straight Empire League title.

25. Troy Warzone (Last Year: Not Ranked)

The Warzone is a crazy bunch and they are dedicated in the stands for both the boys and girls basketball squads. The Warzone loves their Warriors.