CdM whithers in overtime

CORONA DEL MAR — Somewhere around the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter something changed.

After the game it was difficult for anybody on the Corona del Mar High boys’ basketball team to put a finger on a specific reason as to why.

The result was crystal clear though, a 12-point lead vanished in the fourth quarter and an early four-point lead disappeared in overtime as Troy won the nonleague game, 69-58, at Corona del Mar Wednesday.

Junior Stefan Kaluz scored a game-high 22 points for the Sea Kings (7-3). In the game’s final 10 minutes, Kaluz had nine of Corona del Mar’s 12 points.

Despite controlling the game for the first three-plus quarters, Sea Kings Coach Ryan Schachter said there was nothing positive to come from the game.

“We were good for the first three-and-a-half quarters,” Schachter said. “There were a lot of mental mistakes. We were not communicating. We were not working hard to get open on offense. If we only played for three quarters it would have been nice.”

With six minutes remaining in the game, Kaluz hit a free throw to give the Sea Kings their largest lead of the game at 48-36, but they would not score again until five seconds remained in the game. By that time, the Warriors (9-3) had gone on a 14-0 run to take a 50-48 lead.

The Warriors had a chance to stretch the lead from the free-throw line with 15 seconds remaining and then after an offensive rebound, but turned the ball over to the Sea Kings with six seconds left.

Kaluz was fouled on the inbound and hit both free throws to send the game to overtime.

“I thought that I was going to make it, that I better make it,” Kaluz said. “I’m very disappointed. A lot of turnovers killed us. If you’re up that big you should win. We had the momentum, it was going our way. We just couldn’t sustain it. Mental mistakes cost us.”

The Sea Kings scored the first four points of the overtime, when senior Eddie Lane, who had 14 points, stole a pass at half court and took it in for a lay up, and a put back from Kaluz.

But the Warriors responded with a 10-0 run, hitting seven-of-nine free throws and a three-pointer, while the Sea Kings turned the ball over three straight times. Troy scored 19 points in the overtime.

“It hurts when you blow a 12-point lead,” Schachter said. “They scored 19 points on us in two-and-a-half minutes.”

Everything was working for Corona del Mar up until early in the fourth quarter. The Sea Kings were breaking the Warriors’ relentless full-court press with relative ease, sinking transition baskets in the process.

“They’re a very good pressure team,” Schachter said.

Corona del Mar outscored Troy 13-6 in the third quarter, with 12 of the points coming in the paint, to take a 43-34 lead heading into the fourth.

“For the first three-and-a-half quarters we played excellent,” Lane said.

“We played excellent defense and closed out well. The last four minutes we gave them the game. We didn’t execute. It should have been our game. We know we should have won that game. It just sucks.”

Corona del Mar will play Carpinteria to open the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic Tuesday at 4 p.m.

“I know we’ll be able to rebound from this,” Lane said. “We have a talented team.”

Nonleague

Troy 69,

Corona del Mar 58

Score by Quarters

Troy 13 15 6 16 19 — 69 CdM 13 17 13 7 8 — 58

Troy -- Berkley 16, Pixler 16, Wagner 7, Robinson 5, Newman 2, Hagen 2.

3-pt. goals -- Berkley 4, Wagner 1, Robinson 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Corona del Mar -- Kaluz 22, Lane 14, Meshkin 4, Evett 4, Donovan 2, Anderson 2, Joyce 2.

3-pt. goals -- None.

Fouled out -- Joyce.

Technicals -- None.