Breaker hoops teams down Sailors

Mike Sciacca

The Laguna Beach High boys’ basketball team saved its best for last

Tuesday.

Down by five points at the half, the Breakers stormed back to

outscore host Newport Harbor by 15 points in the second half to rally

for a 61-57 win in their final nonleague game of the year.

Jeff Clark hit a huge three-point shot with just over a minute

remaining, the clutch basket putting Laguna up by six points.

Clark, a junior guard, finished the game with 10 points.

Laguna also got a standout performance from forward/center, Ivan

Kovacevic.

The senior poured in a game-high 25 points, pulled down 14

rebounds and blocked six shots.

“It was a good wrap-up to our preseason against a very physical

Newport team,” Laguna Coach Mark Hill said of the victory, Laguna’s

ninth of the year.

The Breakers were coming off a 3-1 showing at the Century

Tournament, which they ended with a 46-44 win over Tustin to claim

the consolation championship.

Clark led Laguna with 19 points and Kovacevic scored 12.

In a consolation semifinal, Laguna jumped out to a 19-point first

quarter lead on Santa Ana, and went on to defeat the Saints, 64-53.

Kovacevic led the way with a game-best 22 points, Clark scored 15

and Michael Kote scored 14.

Kovacevic was named all-tournament.

In girls’ basketball Tuesday, Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor meet

in girls’ play, and the host Breakers rolled to a 64-49 nonleague

victory.

Laguna scored 20, first quarter points, to get off to a hot start.

“We played great transition offense all night and everyone

contributed,” Laguna Coach Stacy Howard said. “I had kids all night

on the bench in my ear letting me know they were ready to go back in

the game, begging to get back on the floor. It was great.”

Junior forward Claire Bevacqua scored a game-high 22 points.

Sophomore guard Brittany Clark netted 18 and freshman guard Tess

Grogan hit a pair of three pointers en route to 16 points.

The Breakers also hit 11 of 17 free throw attempts.

“We had great bench contribution,” Howard said. “Junior Haley

Eaves came off the bench and really gave us a spark. She had two or

three really key boards on both ends of the floor. She and fellow

junior Chelsea Hairston really showed the leadership that we have

been needing.

“We talked to the kids before the game about ‘flipping the switch’

and really making a new commitment to the mental and intangible sides

of the game. They came out tough against this team and never gave up

the lead. We pressed all night and the kids were diving around for

loose balls and really scrapping. It was a fun game to watch.”

The win, Laguna’s final in nonleague play helped get the Breakers

mentally prepared for Thursday’s Pacific Coast League opener against

Northwood.

The triumph was a smooth transition from their last game, a 43-37

overtime loss to Garden Grove at the Garden Grove Tournament.

Freshman forward Lauren Kelly led the way for Laguna with nine

points, 11 rebounds and five steals.

“We played a tough game with only eight bodies, due to injury and

illness, and lost to a team who played probably their best game all

year against us,” Howard said.

“It was a tough loss, but we learned from it.”