Breaker rally falls short

Mike Sciacca

Laguna Beach fell behind big in the early stages of Monday night’s

consolation championship game at the Mayor’s Cup Holiday Classic,

staged a great comeback, but came up short as Valencia pulled away

for a 68-51 victory at Century High in Santa Ana.

The final score was not indicative of how close the game had

become down the stretch.

With Laguna struggling to find an offensive flow, Valencia was

able to build a 23-point lead in the second half before the Breakers

roared back, a rally that saw them trim their deficit to just three

points with four minutes remaining.

“This game was very frustrating in the fact that we did not come

out with the win, but it was a very intense game that our young team

competed in and will learn from,” Laguna coach Rob Cullinan said.

“This [game] was a good tune-up for a tough Pacific Coast League

schedule that’s ahead of us. We will build on this.”

Laguna, which plays at El Modena on Tuesday before opening Pacific

Coast League play with a Jan. 15 home game against rival Corona del

Mar, was led by Kyle Hogan and Alex Norfleet.

Hogan had a double-double with 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Norfleet continued his hot streak from three-point range by hitting a

trio of shots from the arc in the fourth-quarter comeback.

The Breakers were without the services of two key players, senior

point guard Peter Renault and sophomore Ivan Kovacevic.

Freshman Jeff Clark played the entire game at point guard Monday.

Laguna began play at the Mayor’s Cup with an 86-72 first-round

loss to Santa Ana.

The close contest was decided in the third quarter, in which the

Saints broke away from a three point halftime lead to outscore

Laguna, 24-13.

The Breakers had a hot-hand from three-point range, however,

hitting nine overall. Hogan -- who led all scorers with 33 points --

led the way with four, three-point baskets, Renault and Norfleet each

connected on two, and Clark hit one.

Laguna scored two tournament victories, beating Los Amigos, 68-51,

and Eastside of Washington state, 81-79.

Spencer Willhoit and Hogan each scored 15 points, and Austin Sands

had 12 against Los Amigos.

In edging Eastside, Laguna played the game’s final minute with

just four players -- a senior, two sophomores and a freshman, and

finished the contest with only three eligible players on the court.

Eastside had whittled away a 17-point deficit by outscoring

Laguna, 31-16, in the final frame.

Hogan scored 27 points, Norfleet hit for 20 more, Willhoit scored

11 and Sands finished with 10.

In girls’ water polo, Laguna captured ninth-place at the Newport

Harbor-Corona del Mar Holiday Cup by routing Capistrano Valley, 13-3.

Sophomores Katherine Gordon and Allison Doud each scored three

goals and Lina Moore had seven saves for Laguna, which improved to

9-3.

In earlier consolation play, Laguna drilled Santa Ynez, 15-3. The

scoring onslaught consisted of an eight-goal game by senior standout

Annie Preble, the three goals by Gordon and goals by Doud, Elizabeth

Roolidge, Kari Herdman and Jenny Lenker.