Boys basketball: Sea Kings pull off a shocker

Barry Faulkner

SAN DIEGO - The Corona del Mar High boys basketball team didn’t get

its shot at a CIF Southern Section title. But the Sea Kings celebrated

wildly after a 49-46 banner upset Tuesday in the first round of the

Southern California Division III Regionals at University of San Diego

High.

CdM star Kevin Hansen laid in an assist from fellow senior Alec Hanson

with 1:32 left to give the Sea Kings their first lead since the opening

seconds of the second quarter and the No. 2 seeded Dons (24-7) couldn’t

answer.

Hansen, who finished with a game-high 17 points, then netted a baseline

jumper with 51 seconds left and CdM’s defense made it stand up.

The Sea Kings (23-7) advanced to Thursday’s Regional Semifinal at

Morningside High in Inglewood.

“Teams win ballgames; individuals don’t win ballgames,” said Sea Kings’

Coach Paul Orris. Orris, still quivering with emotion, was referring to

Uni’s 6-foot-8 seniors, Chris and Kam Walton.

Chris Walton, the San Diego State-bound son of NBA Hall of Famer Bill

Walton, finished with six points, 11 fewer than his average.

Cam Walton, Bill’s Harvard=bound nephew, had only two points.

Still, the Walton Gang was impressive in the first half, prompting Orris

to issue a heated halftime challenge to his team and, more specifically,

6-7 senior center Joel Templeton.

“I chewed their butts at halftime,” said Orris. “The CdM tradition is

about playing tough, hard-nosed basketball at both ends of the floor. We

started off like we hadn’t played (since Feb. 25) and I thought we were

flustered. I thought we put our heads down and felt sorry for ourselves.

But in the second half, we stepped up.”

A 19-0 Uni run, capped by a Chris Walton dunk, helped the Dons take 27-18

intermission lead.

But CdM, which got 13 points from Hanson and 10 points and eight rebounds

from Templeton, kept coming.

Hanson sparked a 9-2 fourth-quarter spurt, which drew CdM within 44-43.

He then answered a Uni basket with a steal and layup.

Hanson forced a turnover on the ensuing possession and fed Hansen in

transition for the game-winner.

It was CdM’s first state tournament win since beating Lincoln of San

Diego in the 1990 first round.

The Sea Kings, who went 6:30 without a field goal in the first half, hit

6 of 8 field-goal attempts in the final period, during which Uni was 2 of

10. CdM shot 59% (13 of 22) after halftime to help overcome 17 turnovers.

“Most people thought we couldn’t pull this off,” Templeton said. “This

was a big game. I got dunked on in the first half which never happened

before, but we shut ‘em down in the second half.”

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

Southern California Regionals

First round

Corona del Mar 49, SD University 46

Score by Quarters

Corona del Mar 11 7 16 15 - 49

SD University 10 17 14 5 - 46

Corona del Mar - Hansen, 17, Hanson 13, Templeton 10, Morris 4, Hietbrink

3, Snell 2, Patterson 0.

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

Fouled out - None.

SD University - Staggs 10, Ganan 9, Green 8, Stockalter 7, C. Walton 6,

Quentin 4, K. Walton 2.

3-pt. goals - Ganan 3, Stockalter 1.

Fouled out - None.

RECORDS: CdM, 23-7; University, 24-7.