CdM triple trouble for Teroso, 68-58

Barry Faulkner

With two teams tied for third place in the Pacific Coast League,

both with 3-3 league records, perhaps it was to be expected that

threes were wild when the Corona del Mar High boys took the

basketball court Wednesday night at Tesoro.

Barely more than five minutes in, both teams had split eight

three-pointers and each team had six threes by halftime.

CdM’s first three field goals of the third quarter were, you

guessed it, from threedom and the Sea Kings never looked back,

capturing a crucial 68-58 PCL triumph that positions them for the

postseason.

“It was raining threes at the beginning,” CdM Coach Ryan Curry

said. “I called a timeout and told our guys ‘If they’re going to

continue to shoot like that, there’s not much we can do about it. But

we could do something about making sure they only got one shot per

possession.’ ”

One shot was usually enough for the Sea Kings, who hit 25 of 46

field-goal attempts (54.3%), including 44.4% from beyond the

19-foot-9 arc.

The visitors somehow managed to string together three two-point

buckets to start a 12-0 run that ended the half. The burst, which

began with 4:23 left before intermission and ended with

three-pointers by Kevin Mancillas and Brett Matsen, turned a 26-20

deficit into a six-point halftime edge.

Mancillas and Matsen were masterful from distance to help the Sea

Kings (11-12) take over sole possession of third place with three

league games remaining.

Matsen hit a season-best five three-pointers in seven attempts,

while fellow senior Mancillas was 6 of 12 from three land. Junior

point guard Jay Northridge chipped in another bonus ball to give CdM

65 three-pointers in seven league games, a remarkable 9.3 average.

“We’re trying to get more twos,” Curry said almost apologetically.

One of those twos, a layup by junior Adam Freede, stopped a 9-2

Tesoro run to start the fourth quarter that pared a 50-38 deficit to

52-45.

Leading, 54-49, Matsen connected from distance to up the lead to

eight, then followed a Titan free throw with another three-pointer to

make it 60-50 with 3:18 remaining.

Tesoro’s seventh and eight three-pointers helped the hosts (9-13)

close to within 56-52 with 1:43 left, but a Pancho Seaborn layup and

two free throws each from Freede and Northridge in the final 20

seconds, helped the Sea Kings avenge a 48-45 loss to Tesoro Jan. 17

at CdM.

Mancillas, who now has 21 three-pointers in his last four games,

finished with a season-high 26 points, while Matsen added 17 points.

Freede came off the bench to chip in eight points and five

assists, while Northridge finished with seven points and five

assists.

Senior Robbie Luce also contributed four points off the bench.

“Kevin and Brett, two seniors, had big ballgames for us tonight,”

Curry said. “Luce had back-to-back buckets for us (late in the third

quarter) and Freede’s penetration was also key.

“That’s our 11th win which puts us into consideration for an

at-large berth (11 was the minimum requirement last season, though

official word on this year’s standard has yet to be confirmed) and we

have sole possession of third place, which would give us an automatic

(postseason) berth.”

The Sea Kings finish with University (Friday), Calvary Chapel and

Northwood. Tesoro closes out with Northwood, Laguna Beach and Calvary

Chapel.

Pat Marion led the Titans with 18 points, while fellow sophomore

Shane Keough, the son of CdM graduate and former major league pitcher

Matt Keough, had 15.