Nakase Leads Marina Past San Clemente

Huntington Beach Marina High rode Natalie Nakase’s 27-point performance a 67-58 victory over San Clemente and its first basketball title Saturday in the Southern Section Division I-A championship game at the Long Beach Pyramid.

Nakase, a 5-foot-1 senior point guard, again showed why she is one of the Orange County’s best players. She had five points and three assists, accounting for 11 Marina points in its 14-2 run to open the third quarter, breaking a 32-32 halftime score.

Then after San Clemente whittled the deficit to 48-47, Nakase scored the game’s next 11 points. It was part of a 16-2 run, of which she had 13 points, to finally put the Tritons away.

Marina is 27-4, San Clemente 27-5.