CdM loses track meet at University

Bryce Alderton

Little did Corona del Mar High boys basketball coach Ryan Curry

know his team would be involved in a track meet Wednesday night

against host University in a Pacific Coast League battle.

The Trojans (12-6, 3-0 in league) showed the Sea Kings (8-11, 1-2)

no mercy, suffocating the visitors from start to finish using an

effective full-court press at times to run CdM out of the building,

76-55. CdM tied the Trojans at 4-4 and 6-6, but never led.

“I really didn’t think the press would cause as many problems as

it did, and that is a coach’s blunder,” Curry said. “They swarmed us,

especially early on, got ahead by 19 and it was too little too late

for us.”

Two Trojans would double-team a Corona ball handler in the corner

upon a Sea King inbounds pass, often resulting in lob to midcourt

that was either intercepted or flew out of bounds.

CdM turned the ball over 18 times to Uni’s 10, and was

outrebounded by the hosts, 36-20. All five of Uni’s two-point baskets

in the second period came on layups or follows of missed shots. Uni’s

Charles Valentine scored 13 of his 23 points coming off the bench in

the second quarter while grabbing three rebounds in that span. The

Trojans built a 32-13 lead with 4:32 left in the half after leading

at the end of one quarter, 16-9.

“Valentine ate us up on the boards,” said Curry of the 6-foot-3

junior forward whom Uni Coach Mike Dinneen chose to not start along

with 6-2 junior A.J. Moskus because of a “coach’s decision.”

Moskus grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds and tallied 12 points

on 6-of-12 shooting.

“If a guy was shorter, I just tried to tip the ball back to

myself,” said Valentine describing his rebound strategy.

Both coaches agreed Uni controlled the tempo of the game.

“We try to keep the pace of the game up if we can,” Dinneen said.

“Our pressure was pretty much effective at times. CdM’s offense

played well in the third quarter and then we put (the full-court

press) back on them in the fourth (period).”

Trailing, 37-21, at halftime, the Sea Kings cut the Trojan lead to

nine with an 8-0 run to begin the third. Adam Freede hit a turnaround

six-footer followed by a Kevin Mancillas’ three-pointer off a Brett

Matsen assist. Pancho Seaborn then converted a layup on a give-and-go

while drawing a foul and made the subsequent free throw.

The Sea Kings would hit four more field goals in the period and

finish 8 for 16 as University built a 51-40 lead at the end of three

quarters.

It took CdM almost four minutes to collect its first

fourth-quarter field goal -- Matsen’s second of three treys -- to cut

the Trojan lead to 63-45 with 4:21 left. Matsen led the Sea Kings

with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting as CdM shot 37.5% (21 of 56). It

was the sixth time in the last seven games Matsen has scored in

double-figures.

But Moskus scored eight of his 12 points in the next 2:13 -- two

on assists from Jon Asnon -- who eclipsed his points-per-game average

(22.9) with a game-high 24.

Seaborn and Northridge joined Matsen in double-figures with 13 and

11 points, respectively. Seaborn scored nine in the third quarter and

Northridge jumped to nine first-half points before he was held

without a field goal in the second half.

Welch led the Sea Kings with seven rebounds and also tallied two

points while Northridge led the team with four assists.

Robbie Luce tied a season-high with three points while Mancillas

was limited to five, and Freede finished with four points.

“The kids battled hard all the way through,” Curry said.

“University is a good basketball team.”