SAMOHI — Santa Monica High School completed a late-season turnaround with a 75-64 victory over Hawthorne Thursday on campus.
The Vikings entered the night in a third place tie with Morningside with both teams needing a win to force a one-game playoff to determine the third team to qualify for the playoffs from the Ocean League.
It wasn't until after the game did Samohi learn that Morningside had lost to first place Inglewood, assuring the Vikings an automatic bid to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 1A playoffs.
Upon learning that then second place Culver City lost to Beverly Hills also on Thursday, Samohi completed a late-season surge that saw the team catapult from last place two weeks ago to a second place finish in league.
"Our guys got it done," Head Coach James Hecht said. "We did our part."
Samohi will learn who it will play in the first round of the playoffs when brackets are released by the CIF-SS on Sunday.