Boys basketball: Sea Kings escape with a win

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - Kevin Hansen used the fourth quarter as his

personal highlight show, leading Corona del Mar High’s boys basketball

team to a come-from-behind, 58-55 Pacific Coast League win over visiting

Estancia Friday night.

Hanson scored 14 of his 24 points in the final quarter, leading the Sea

Kings back from an 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit. He was 4 for 5 from

the field and 5 for 5 from the free-throw line.

“We escaped big time tonight,” Sea Kings’ Coach Paul Orris said. “We

played in a fog for three quarters, but we found a way to get it done.”

The win moves the Sea Kings (18-6, 4-2) into a first-place tie with

University. The Trojans lost to Laguna Beach, 87-75, in overtime.

For the Eagles (14-11, 2-5), it was the second straight game in which

they lost a fourth quarter lead, but Coach Rich Boyce found this loss

particularly hard to swallow.

“I rarely say this, but the officiating was very inconsistent tonight,”

Boyce said. “Maybe it’s sour grapes, but we were getting hammered down

low and then getting called on the other end for ticky-tack fouls up top.

We’re up by 11 and CdM goes to the line 11 times?

“Obviously, Paul and his team deserve a lot of credit to battle back the

way they did,” Boyce continued. “But it’s frustrating having the game

taken out of your hands like that.”

A basket by Maurice Aguilar early in the fourth gave the Eagles a 48-35

lead before the comeback run began.

CdM started the uphill climb with an 9-0 run, cutting the lead to four

with 4:30 remaining.

After a free throw from Darshaun Garner, Hansen hit a jumper with four

minutes left, cutting the lead to three.

Estancia appeared weather the Sea Kings’ storm when Travis Chandler

converted a three-point play, doubling the Eagles’ lead with three

minutes remaining.

But from there it was all CdM. Two free throws by Hansen and back-to-back

hoops from Templeton and Hansen tied the game with 1:16 remaining.

“We hurried a couple of shots late that really hurt us,” Boyce said.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

After an Eagles’ foul, Templeton made his first free throw, giving CdM it

first lead of the game, 53-52, with 30.1 seconds left.

Templeton’s second attempt missed, but Hansen tipped the ball back to

Alec Hanson, who dished it right back to Hansen down low. He scored and

was fouled with 15.3 seconds remaining, sending the CdM crowd into orbit.

With the game seemingly over, Eliasar Maldonado, who scored a season-high

18 points for the Eagles, connected on a desperation three-pointer and

was fouled with seven ticks remaining, cutting the lead to one.

“Eliasar played just great tonight,” Boyce said. “He really stepped it up

for us and hit some clutch shots.”

Maldonado’s free throw came up just short and after two successful Hanson

free throws, the game was over.

Hanson added 13 points, while Templeton, despite only six points, managed

to hold Garner to only three second-half points.

“These are the games where we have to find a way to win,” Orris said.

“Kevin came through for us down the stretch, as did Joel.”

Estancia was in control of the game right from the opening tip, jumping

out to an 11-0 lead.

“The funny thing was, I thought we were more prepared for this game than

any other game we’ve played,” Orris said. “We just came out flat and we

struggled against their switching defenses.”

Jon Cantrell led the Eagles with seven first-quarter points, but did not

return to the game due to coach’s decision.

That’s when Maldonado stepped up his game. The Eagles led by nine at the

half and with Hanson and Hansen starting to warm up, Maldonado scorched

the Sea Kings with 11 third-quarter points, including three treys.

“I’ve gotta give my assistant coach Gordon McNeill credit,” Orris said.

“When we fell behind big, he kept telling the kids to relax, settle down,

be patient and we would get back in the game. We took way too many

perimeter shots early and that hurt our scoring.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 58, Estancia 55

Estancia 17 14 15 9 - 55

Corona del Mar 9 13 13 23 - 58

Estancia - Maldonado 18, Garner 10, Simco 8, Cantrell 7, Chandler 5,

Aguilar 4, Rodriguez 3.

3 pt. goals - Maldonado 4, Simco 2, Cantrell 1, Rodrigeuz 1.

Fouled out - None.

Corona del Mar - Hansen 24, Hanson 13, Templeton 6, Morris 5, Shahangian

4, Hietbrink 4, Patterson 2, Snell 0.

3 pt. goals - Hanson 2, Morris 1, Hansen 1.

Fouled out - None.