Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Action from Friday’s game between Eureka and Fortuna.

If the early-season showdowns between the Big 5 boys teams are any indication, it’s should be another exciting season of basketball here on the North Coast.

One week after a thrilling matchup between Arcata and McKinleyville — which went the Panthers’ way after a Bode Douglass 3-pointer in the dying seconds — Eureka and Fortuna served up another highly-entertaining game at the 55th annual Jerry Paul Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon.

After both teams lost their opening games in tournament play on Thursday, this was an important showdown in more ways than one, and it took an overtime to separate the two conference rivals, with the Huskies sneaking an 88-84 win.

“That was a good win for us,” said Fortuna head coach Norm Sotomayor, whose team came into the game 2-3. “Like I told the guys, that was somewhat of a must-win for us.”

The players did not disappoint and seniors Alfonso Medina and Russell Pascascio continued to shine in the win.

Medina scored a game-high 30 points while Pascascio finished with 23.

Mason Toroni also had a good game for the Huskies and finished with 12 points, while Kallen Barrote added seven points and Jace Barsanti had six points.

“Our maturity and experience came through in overtime,” Sotomayor said. 

Elijah Estrada continues his impressive start to the season for the Loggers, who dropped to 4-3.

The junior forward scored a team-high 27 points and came up big in the second half to help force the overtime, including making two of three free throws right at the end of regulation.

“He had a huge game,” Eureka assistant coach Andrew DeHart said. 

Jahmil Rippy also had a good game for Eureka and finished with 21 points, while Nelson Botzler-Washington finished with 10 points and nine rebounds and Michael Jewell added eight points.

“I was really happy with how we battled all the way till the end,” DeHart said. “I was proud of the guys, who played a lot better tonight than we did last night, that’s for sure. 

“So we were happy with the improvement.”

DeHart also praised the play of Fortuna’s Medina, who “made some really big shots late.”

Sotomayor was happy to see his players get an important early-season win in their first game against a Big 5 team, but he knows the Loggers will be a tough opponent again when they meet in league play.

“(Head coach) Jimmy (Rodgers) is doing a good job with those young guys,” he said. “They play hard and they get after it.”

The Huskies will face off against another Big 5 opponent in their tournament final on Saturday, playing McKinleyville at 11:30 a.m.

Eureka closes out tournament play at 10 a.m. on Saturday against Red Bluff.