CdM finishes second at Santiago

Joseph Boo

GARDEN GROVE - Corona del Mar high’s girls basketball team fought

hard against Norco in Thursday night’s championship game at the Cavalier

Classic, but the Lady Cougars were too much, and CdM succumbed, 47-35, at

Santiago.

“We were a little awed by them in the first minute,” CdM coach Elbert

Davis said. “Then we settled in and played the way we should have. But

they were the better team tonight.

The Sea Kings (10-4) were down, 18-6, with 4:01 left in the second

quarter as Norco’s defense and rebounding led the way. Though their

shooting was poor, the Lady Cougars (12-1) grabbed 63 rebounds in the

game, compared to CdM’s 33. and they forced 28 turnovers.

“They did not let us play our offense,” Davis said. “We had to make up

our offense. They took our guards out of the game.”

Yet, CdM came back from the 12-point deficit with an 18-4 run that

started when Andrea Gruber hit a layup. Five minutes later, Kristin

McCoy, named to the All-tournament team, also got a layup to put the Sea

Kings up, 24-22, in the third quarter.

But Norco scored six points in a row, and its defense was too stingy to

let CdM stage another comeback. Its shooting also picked up in the fourth

quarter, and two three-point plays gave Norco a double-digit lead.

McCoy led CdM with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Eyre grabbed seven

rebounds for the Sea Kings, five in the second half. And CdM’s Charlene

Quon was also named to the All-tournament team.

While CdM’s upset bid fell short, it already surpassed last year’s win

total by going 3-1 in the tournament.

“At the end of the year, we can look back at the season and say we

finished second,” Davis said. “But we can’t sit back now. we have to get

ready for league.”

CdM’s first Pacific Coast League game is Thursday against Laguna Beach.