Sea Kings’ magic runs out

SAN DIEGO — Addressing his Corona del Mar High basketball team for the first time this week came easy to Coach Ryan Schachter.

Two days after winning the CIF Southern Section Division III-A championship Saturday, the first-year Sea Kings’ coach teased his players. He asked them, “How can I get rid of you guys? You guys don’t go away.”

Schachter never wanted to see his players’ championship season end, but it came to a stop Thursday in the opening round of the CIF State tournament in San Diego.

The hardest part was coming up with words that would make things better after his sixth-seeded Sea Kings lost to third-seeded Mission Bay of San Diego, 74-67, in the Division III Southern California Regionals.

Schachter gathered himself after the game, and told the Sea Kings all they needed to hear.

“I’m so proud of you guys,” Schachter could be heard saying outside the visitors’ locker room. “It’s been a long season. I’m just glad that I was a part of it. It’s been a great journey.”

CdM (22-8) came so close to extending its stellar season after winning the school its fifth section title.

The Sea Kings gave the Buccaneers, the San Diego Section Division III champ, a matchup that Mission Bay point guard Esaias Tsegai would later say that his team “had to do everything right” to win.

Mission Bay (24-6) played almost perfectly down the stretch to advance to the semifinals to play La Cañada, which beat Hanford West, 68-56.

The Buccaneers’ two-three zone defense created problems for CdM’s guards after they switched from man-to-man coverage in the second quarter. They struggled getting the ball into the hands of 6-foot-9 center Stefan Kaluz. Instead of pounding it inside, Kaluz reverted to jumpers, and the junior delivered.

Kaluz finished with a game-high 25 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. He hit three jumpers in the final quarter, but his 10-point performance wasn’t enough to slow down Mission Bay.

Tsegai was a big reason why as he scored half of his 18 points in the fourth. He hit one of his team’s 10 three-pointers in the game when CdM cut the deficit to 57-55, with 4:21 left. When Tsegai wasn’t scoring, the 5-foot-9 sophomore went to his big man, 6-5 James Hancock.

Hancock’s back-to-back three-point plays in a 46-second span put the game away with 1:30 left. After hitting his third three-pointer, the Long Beach State-bound senior attacked the baseline for a layup while being fouled. He converted the three-point play at the free-throw line, giving Mission Bay a 66-60 lead.

The Sea Kings had free throw trouble, going seven for 16, but tried to keep the season alive.

Whether it was senior point guard Austin Evett finding an open Joe Eberhard, who scored 19 points and hit three three-pointers, or senior Eddie Lane taking a charge late in the game, CdM fought to the end.

CIF State playoffsSouthern California Regional

Division III quarterfinal

Mission Bay 74,

Corona del Mar 67

Score by Quarters

Corona del Mar 18 14 19 16 — 67

Mission Bay 11 22 16 25 — 74

Corona del Mar -- Kaluz 25, Eberhard 19, Donovan 9, Lane 6, Evett 6, Joyce 2.

3-pt. goals -- Eberhard 3, Donovan 3, Evett 2.

Home -- Hancock 24, E. Tsegai 18, Parham 16, Hom 6, D. Tsegai 4, Petty 4, Jock 2.

3-pt. goals -- Parham 3, Hancock 3, E. Tsegai 2, Hom 2.

Technicals -- D. Tsegai.