CdM can’t keep up with Sentinels

WESTMINSTER — Pacing up and down the sideline, Corona del Mar High Coach Ryan Schachter didn’t know what to do next.

Place his hands on his hips, or cross his arms. Throw his hands in the air, or point fingers at his players.

The first-year Sea Kings boys’ basketball coach displayed bad body language throughout Friday night. Corona del Mar forced its coach to do so for the first time.

Inglewood pressured CdM into 20-plus turnovers with its trapping defense to pull out a 61-51 semifinal victory at the La Quinta Aztec Classic.

The smaller, quicker Sentinels didn’t allow the Sea Kings to pound the ball inside to their big men, 6-foot-9 Stefan Kaluz and 6-7 Jon Joyce, every time.

Schachter’s explanation for not being able to use the team’s strength? “Because we were soft,” he said.

Coach let the Sea Kings know how much during their first loss of the year coming against a perennial CIF Southern Section title contender.

Constantly questioning players during the first half, which Inglewood led 38-22, CdM responded to Schachter late.

Finally players began listening to their coach, who almost yelled out “Why are you taking quick shots?” as many times as the team missed shots.

The Sea Kings (3-1) went to Kaluz down the stretch. Kaluz scored seven of his game-high 26 points during a 12-6 run that trimmed the deficit to 55-51 with less than two minutes left.

Schachter’s decision to not press Inglewood (5-2) and sit in a zone worked. The Sentinels played conservatively. Their run-and-gun style fizzled in the fourth by waiting practically every time to shoot with the 35-second shot clock expiring.

But when Inglewood needed someone to hit a jumper, senior guard Justin Archie came through.

By the time the shot clock showed zero, Archie drifted back, waiting for a 16-footer to go in. It did, putting the Sentinels up, 57-51, and the Sea Kings wouldn’t be heard from again.

“It was a pretty tough team, but we all held it down together,” said Archie, who finished with 15 points. “We didn’t have one of our best nights, but we stepped it up when we needed to.

“This is our first championship game as a team and this is our first time really coming together.”

This tournament was supposed to be the Sea Kings’ time to bond. They belonged in tonight’s championship against Servite, not in the third-place game against Aliso Niguel at 6:30. So the players thought before the tip.

But when Austin Evett admitted the team mentally couldn’t perform, it made sense why Schachter said, “we didn’t want to be here.”

The play showed as a handful of Inglewood guards, no taller than 6-foot, beat guys five to nine inches taller to rebounds. When they didn’t, they stole the ball away from CdM.

That’s what happened when one of Evett’s errant passes led to a breakaway dunk to start the fourth quarter. Archie picked the ball up and headed the other way, while Evett headed for the bench as Schachter pulled him.

“He’s new at the point position, so he’s got a heavy burden on his shoulders,” said Schachter of Evett, who took over when returnee Erik Rask tore an anterior cruciate ligament during the football season. “He’s got to learn being the point guard you have to be the team leader. It’s a very tough demanding position.

“We’re just trying to get him ready for playoffs.”

Schachter had to ask Evett near the two-minute mark if he was ready to come back into the game. He nodded his head and returned.

But he couldn’t direct the offense to do much as Inglewood’s stifling defense forced two bad shots and another miscue.

“When they got the ball up the court we got into our little trap,” said Patrick Roy, who’s guided Inglewood to eight section championship games and four state title contests during his 14 years as coach. “We wanted to force some turnovers and force them into some bad shots.”

One just at had to look at CdM’s coach to see how effective the Sentinels were Friday.

La Quinta Classic

Semifinal

Inglewood 61,

Corona del Mar 51

Score by Quarters

CdM

14

8

15

14

— 51

Inglewood

26

12

11

12

— 61

CdM -- Kaluz 26, Joyce 8, Lane 6, Donovan 5, Evett 4, Eberhard 2.

3-pt. goals -- Donovan 1.

Fouled out -- Donovan.

Technicals -- None.

Inglewood -- Wallace 19, Archie 15, Cathey 10, Gomez 9, Thomas 4, Jones 2, Holcomb 1, Taylor 1.

3-pt. goals -- Wallace 3, Gomez 1, Archie 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None