Boys basketball: CdM stuns Uni, 84-82

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - Faced with the three-point circus of Pacific Coast

League-leading University High, Corona del Mar Coach Paul Orris threw up

his hands, let go of the reins and rode his fired-up band or “Runnin’ Sea

Kings” to an 84-82 upset road victory Tuesday.

CdM senior Eric Snell dribbled the distance to drain a six-foot runner

as the buzzer sounded to keep the Sea Kings’ title hopes alive.

CdM (11-15, 5-4 in league) clinched at least an at-large berth into

the CIF Southern Section playoffs with its 11th victory. Further, the Sea

Kings moved into a three-way tie for second place, one game behind

co-leaders University and Costa Mesa, with one regular-season game

remaining. CdM, which visits Mesa Thursday night. A CdM win, combined

with victories by Estancia (over Uni) and Northwood (over Laguna Beach),

would leave everyone but Laguna Beach tied for first. PCL athletic

directors are scheduled to meet today to discuss tiebreaking scenarios.

“We’ve got a shot and that’s all we want is a shot,” said an

emotionally drained Orris, whose trademark structured offensive schemes

gave way to one-on-one creativity to overcome a 45-40 first-half deficit.

University, which drained 17 three-pointers in Friday’s win over

Laguna Beach, scored its first 18 points all from beyond the arc, led by

Jason Garey’s four bombs to key a 23-18 first-quarter lead.

Uni hit three more from threedom in the second period and added three

more points when Hiro Christoph was fouled behind the arc to lead, 45-40.

But CdM, which had gone 231 games and eight seasons without scoring

this many points, had the answer. It last scored 85 in a five-point win

over Uni in 1993.

“Normally, we want to keep it in the 50s, but we knew we had to come

up with more points tonight,” Orris said. “So, we said (heck with) it,

we’re going to push the ball up.”

Snell, who finished with 25 points, and fellow senior guard Idean

Shahangian, who netted all 26 of his points after a scoreless first

period, apparently didn’t mind playing a quicker tempo.

“If we didn’t push it, we wouldn’t have won,” said Shahangian, who

used a steady diet of runners in the lane to combat Uni’s 14

three-pointers. “And that’s my game.”

Shahangian’s 15-footer with 2:19 left in the third, gave CdM its first

lead, 60-58, since 3-0.

The two teams virtually traded baskets the rest of the way, before a

pair of Zach Brewster free throws gave CdM an 82-79 edge with 22 ticks

remaining.

Uni’s Christoph, however, hit a three ball with nine seconds left,

prompting a CdM timeout and, as it turned out, some wasted X’s and O’s.

“We set up another play, but that broke down and, to Eric’s credit, he

stepped up and recognized he had to make a play,” Orris said.

The soft-spoken Snell, after being mobbed on the floor and smothered

by well-wishers afterward, said it was all reaction.

“I just wanted to get the ball up the court as fast as I could and

either drive or dish,” Snell said. “The shot opened up and I took it.”

Brewster added 15 points and relentless effort, while Charlie Alshuler

chipped in 10 points for the winners.

Carey had 29 points and Christoph 19 for Uni, which fell to 14-10,

5-3.

NONLEAGUE

Corona del Mar 84, University 82

Score by Quarters

Corona del Mar 18 22 22 22 - 84 University 23 22 17 20 - 82

Corona del Mar - Shahangian 26, Snell 25, Brewster 15, Alshuler 10, Marston 5, Richardson 2, Grey 1, Glass 0.

3-pt. goals - Snell 2, Shahangian 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

University - Garey 29, Christoph 18, Asnon 9, Feistel 7, Tran 6, Gomez

5, Newsome 4, Allah 4..

3-pt. goals - Garey 8, Christon 3, Asnan 1, Fiestel 1, Gomez 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.