Boys basketball: CdM meets Notre Dame in III-AA quarterfinal

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - It took just three days to emilinate 20 of the 28

schools which qualified for the CIF Southern Section Division III-AA boys

basketball playoffs.

Among the elite eight are third-seeded Corona del Mar (21-6) and Notre

Dame of Sherman Oaks (22-6), who square off tonight at 7:30 in a

quarterfinal at Estancia High. They were expected to be here, from the

start.

The team there at the finish tonight will need to play one of its better

games, according to CdM Coach Paul Orris.

“Notre Dame is a private school with a solid athletic proram and a

winning tradition,” Orris said. “They’ve been here before and they know

what the playoffs are like, so they’re not going to beat themselves. To

beat them, you’ve got to step up and bring your A game and play hard for

four quarters. You not only need to play hard, but play smart and

execute. They’re a challenge.”

The Sea Kings are no strangers to an extended postseason, either. The

Pacific Coast League champions were III-A runners-up last season and are

27-8 in section playoff games during Orris’ 14-year tenure at the helm.

Orris has guided CdM to five section title games and two championships

(1993 and ‘95).

CdM, which received a first-round bye, dispatched Northview, 47-25, in

Friday’s second round, limiting the Vikings to just 14.3% field-goal shooting (8 of 56).

The Sea Kings, led by All-CIF senior returner Kevin Hansen and senior

point guard Alec Hanson, have won five in a row and seven of their last

eight.

Hansen is averaging 20.0 points and seven rebounds per game, while Hanson

averages 12.2 ppg.

Senior Brooks Morris, who has come off the bench since returning seven

games ago from a broken wrist, averages 9.8 ppg. The Sea Kings are 9-2 in

games in which Hansen, Hanson and Morris have all played.

Notre Dame, coached by Bob DiMuro, opened the playoffs with a 62-58 win

over Workman, then topped Verbum Dei, 52-46, in Friday’s second round.

The Knights, runners-up in the Mission League behind No. 4-seeded

Harvard-Westlake (21-5), have won three straight and 9 of their last 10.

They start only one senior and employ only two from the Class of 2000 in

their rotation, according to Orris.

“They start four juniors, but they look like a seasoned ballclub,” Orris

said.

Cody Pearson, a 6-foot-3 junior, paces tonight’s visitors, who won their

only section crown in 1993. He averaged 23.1 points and 12.5 rebounds in the regular season.

Michael Luderer, another 6-3 junior, chips in 16.3 points and eight

rebounds. David Hungerford, a 6-7 junior center, senior guard Matt Lutz

and junior guard Ruben Sanchez round out the starting lineup.

“(Pearson and Luderer) are real solid,” Orris said.

Though Notre Dame lost its two league games to Harvard-Westlake, by nine

and 15 points, Orris said at least one Mission League coach believes

DiMuro’s squad is the circuit’s most talented team.

CdM also defeated Verbum Dei this season, 50-39, in a December tournament

game.

The Sea Kings have played as many games at Estancia (five) as at their

own gym this season and are 4-1 at their home away from home.

Tonight’s winner will advance to Friday’s semifinal against either

second-seeded San Dimas (24-3) or Centennial of Compton.