Laguna downs Sea Kings

Mike Sciacca

The first home game of the 2003-04 season couldn’t have been any

bigger for the Laguna Beach High boys’ basketball team.

It came against rival Corona del Mar, and it marked the opening

night of play in the Pacific Coast League.

The Breakers didn’t disappoint the fans who came out to see them

play in newly renovated Duggers Gymnasium.

“I think this is the first time this group of seniors has beaten

Corona del Mar,” Laguna Coach Mark Hill said after Laguna defeated

the visiting Sea Kings, 50-49. “It was nice to get a win in our home

and league opener.”

The teams were tied, 21-21, at halftime, but Laguna outscored

Corona del Mar by five points in the third quarter to take a 41-36

lead into the game’s final eight minutes.

The Sea Kings hit a three-point basket just before the final

buzzer to make it a one-point game.

“I thought our guys did a nice job,” Hill said. “I felt that these

first two league games, against Corona and Northwood, were very

important to us.”

Taylor Willhoit, whom Hill said had a “monster” second half,

scored all of his team-high 14 points over the final two quarters.

The senior center also pulled down 11 rebounds.

Cheyne Martin, who went three for four from three-point range,

finished with 13 points and Ivan Kovacevic had 12 points and a

team-high 13 rebounds.

In girls’ basketball Tuesday, Laguna dropped a 55-45 Pacific Coast

League game to visiting Northwood.

Free throw shooting was the demise of the Breakers, who were just

11 of 29, overall, from the foul line.

They went 8 of 19 from the line in the opening half and trailed

the Timberwolves by 11 points at the intermission.

Despite a lackluster first half, Laguna displayed patience on

offense and solid defense in the third quarter to climb back into the

game.

“We had a terrible first half but to the girls’ credit, they came

back and had a really great third quarter,” Coach Stacy Howard said.

“We just couldn’t turn the corner, though, in the fourth quarter to

complete the comeback.

“Overall, we’re just struggling right now.”

Although not pleased with her team’s overall performance, Howard

praised her players for controlling the rebounding department.

Senior post Katie Sexton recorded a double-double with 13 points

and 10 rebounds.

“She played a fantastic game,” Howard said of Sexton. “It was her

most aggressive performance of the season.

Aja Roley scored eight points and had 10 rebounds, Summer Kendrick

scored six points to go along with five rebounds and Brittany Clark’s

solid performance included eight points, four assists and a pair of

steals.

Prior to facing Northwood, Laguna lost in its league opener as

visiting Corona del Mar came away with a 65-52 victory.

The Sea Kings led by only 13-11 after the first quarter, but went

on to outscore the Breakers, 25-13, in the second quarter, to take a

38-24 lead at the half.

Laguna cut the deficit to eight points heading into the fourth

quarter, but could get no closer.

Again free throw shooting plagued the Breakers. They shot just

36-percent from the charity stripe and, combined with 27 turnovers,

couldn’t recover.

“Those two things killed us,” Howard said. “You won’t win a

ballgame when you shoot poorly from the free throw line and turn the

ball over that many times.”

Roley scored 14 points and added seven rebounds to pace Laguna and

Sexton scored 12 points.

“Both Aja and Katie played well for us,” Howard said.