Laguna boys edged by Colony

Laguna Beach High lost its grip on an 11-point halftime lead on

Monday and lost to Colony of Ontario, 64-63, in a consolation-round

semifinal boys basketball game at the Mayor’s Cup Holiday Classic.

The Breakers led, 36-25, at intermission, but the Titans outscored

Laguna, 24-11, in the third period, to take a two-point lead into the

final period.

Freshman Cheyne Martin netted all four of Laguna’s three-point

baskets and led all scorers with 28 points.

Joining Martin in double-figures scoring was Ivan Kovacevic with

17 points.

In earlier Mayor’s Cup play at Century High, Laguna routed

Western, 79-33. Again, Martin led all Breakers in scoring, this time

with 17 points. Austin Sands finished with 11 points and Jake Wheeler

contributed 10 more as 12 of 13 Breakers reached the scoring column.

In the tournament opener, the Breakers fell to Pacifica, 56-52. In

that game, Martin scored 18 points, Kovacevic had 16 points and Jeff

Clark posted 10 points.

“We need more practice time,” Laguna Coach Mark Hill said. “We’ve

played too many games and illnesses have set us back.”

Martin and Sands returned from illness to play in the Mayor’s Cup.

Laguna closes out its nonleague schedule Saturday at Edison.

“This is our final opportunity to work things out before league

begins,” Hill said. “We’ve played some tough teams in preseason,

especially at the Irvine World News Tournament. Our squad is getting

back to being healthy, and I hope we can do some things in league

play.”

In girls’ basketball, Laguna headed into the winter break with a

55-49 nonleague win at Dana Hills.

The Breakers got the victory despite having one starter -- senior

Summer Kendrick -- away on vacation and two other senior starters --

Katie Sexton and Aja Roley -- saddled with foul trouble.

“With those odds stacked against us, we got the performances we

needed from our other starters and our bench,” Laguna Coach Stacy

Howard said. “We found a way to win an ugly game.”

Laguna got the punch it needed from its bench in junior Andrea

Ventura and junior Sam Grant.

Ventura recorded a double-double, with 13 points on five-of-eight

shooting from the field, and 12 rebounds. She also had two steals.

Grant, starting in place of Kendrick, came up with a big defensive

effort and ignited Laguna.

Despite being in foul trouble most of the game, Roley finished

with 14 points.

Senior Deana Awadalla hit seven of eight free throws, finishing

with 10 points, and freshman Brittany Clark scored 11 points and had three steals.

In girls’ water polo, Laguna defeated Newport Harbor, 12-8 and

Peninsula, 9-3, but fell to eventual finalist Santa Barbara, 8-4, at

the Newport Harbor-Corona del Mar Holiday Cup.

In the win over Newport Harbor, junior Addison Doud ripped the net

for 10 goals to power Laguna and overpower the Sailors’ defense.

Junior Megan Vick and freshman Breanna Duplisea scored the other

two Breaker goals, and Alanna Thomson had eight saves.

Doud again led the Laguna charge in the victory over Peninsula,

her six goals leading a scoring attack that saw Duplisea score twice

and Kat Gordon score once.

Thomson finished with 16 saves.

In the Santa Barbara loss, Doud and Gordon each scored twice.