Lead doesn’t last for Sea Kings, who fall

Rick Devereux

The Corona del Mar High girls basketball team held on to the lead in

the Pacific Coast League opener against visiting Tesoro for

approximately 31 minutes, 28 seconds.

Unfortunately for the Sea Kings, the game lasted 32 minutes as the

Titans edged out the 49-48 victory. CdM plays at Newport Harbor

Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

“This was a tight one,” Coach Scott Kahawai said. “The girls gave

me everything that I wanted out of them.”

CdM (7-9, 0-1 in league) used its team speed to push the pace of

the game from the tipoff, running fast breaks and creating turnovers.

Tesoro (8-8, 1-0) was held without a field goal for the final 3:17

of the third quarter. Senior forward Ashley Marks hit a jump shot

with time winding down in the third quarter, then stole the ensuing

inbounds pass and connected on another jumper with nine seconds left

to give CdM a 41-33 lead.

In the fourth, the Titans put forth the type of energy CdM showed

in the first three quarters.

“I think our girls just decided to step up defensively at the end

of the game,” Tesoro Coach Chelsea Clark said.

A baseline drive by Tesoro’s Alex Lamourelle and a free throw by

Anna Boughton shortened the lead to six points early in the fourth

quarter. But CdM’s Katie Schulte nailed a three-pointer with 5:33

left to give the Sea Kings a 45-36 lead, the game’s largest.

The Titans clawed their way back with a 9-0 run to tie the game at

45.

Sophomore guard Allie Duernberger drained a three for CdM with

1:45 left. A steal led to a Lamourelle layup with 42 seconds left to

put the Titans down by one point, prompting a timeout from CdM.

A CdM foul gave a Tesoro player a free-throw opportunity, but the

Titan player missed the chance to tie the game with 35 seconds left.

Luckily for the Titans, senior forward Caitlin Holmes grabbed the

rebound and made her layup to give Tesoro its first lead of the game,

49-48, with 32 seconds remaining. The Titans stole the ball on CdM’s

final possession to seal the victory.

Pacific Coast League

Tesoro 49, Corona del Mar 48

Score by Quarters

*--*

Tesoro 14 13 6 22 -- 49

CdM 18 13 10 6 -- 48

*--*

Tesoro -- Von Zup 14, Lamourelle 6, Takai 9, Boughton 9, Welsh 0,

First 0, Nadal 1, Preziosi 0.

3-pt. goals -- Von Zup 2.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

CdM -- Benbow 2, K. Wayte 9, Schulte 22, Duernberger 7, Long 1,

Marks 5, Dean 0, Wadhwa 2, A. Wayte 0.

3-pt. goals -- Schulte 1, Duernberger 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.