Marina, Edison host girls’ holiday hoops

The Larry Doyle Orange County Championships girls’ basketball tournament gets underway Tuesday with eight, first-round games.

The annual holiday tournament, named after the late Marina High athletic director, Larry Doyle, is hosted by Marina and Edison highs. Sixteen teams, including both host schools and nine other county teams, will vie for the 2006 crown.

Games begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and run all day until 9:30 p.m.

Following Tuesday’s first-round games, the tournament continues with all-day action on Wednesday and on Dec. 28, wrapping up with consolation and championship round play on Dec. 29.

Action on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place at the Marina High gymnasium. On Dec. 28 and 29, the tournament concludes at Edison.

The consolation championship is at 3:30 p.m. and the championship game at 8 p.m., both on Dec. 29.

Hart, which finished runner-up to Santa Margarita in last year’s tournament and is a defending CIF champion, returns to the event. The Indians won the tournament in 2004.

“It’s not only a good representation of Orange County basketball in terms of teams like San Clemente, Edison and Esperanza, but a good representation of some good Southern California teams like Hart, Mira Costa and Norco,” Marina Coach Butch Fredlow said of the tournament participants. “It’s a good, well-rounded field and there’s going to be some great basketball played over those four days.”

The schedule

Tuesday

(at Marina High)