Sea Kings stay ahead

CORONA DEL MAR — Since New Year’s Eve, Sean Donovan has had a hard time sleeping in.

The time difference from a six-day trip in Orlando, Fla., has affected him since returning home.

He’s not alone.

Three days since last playing at Walt Disney World Resort, the Corona del Mar High boys’ basketball team is still in a funk.

Donovan and teammates might be able to sleep a little bit better after Saturday night.

The senior scored 22 of his 37 points in the second half, helping the Sea Kings beat Estancia, 59-54, to avoid being upset at home.

“We wouldn’t be able to go to sleep,” said Donovan if CdM had lost to Estancia.

At this point in the season, CdM showed it isn’t that much better than the Eagles (6-11).

The Sea Kings are more athletic and bigger. Another advantage they held was having Coach Ryan Schachter at the nonleague game.

Estancia Coach Agustin Heredia was nowhere in the building.

Assistant coach Brian Beerbower coached his first varsity game because Heredia was forced to miss it after picking up two technical fouls in the Eagles’ previous game.

Beerbower has a different demeanor than Heredia on the bench.

“I stand up and I’m yelling and screaming the whole time,” Beerbower said.

The Eagles heard Beerbower loud and clear. They responded after CdM opened the first quarter with a 20-8 lead.

If Heredia had been around, the second-year coach would’ve been proud of Estancia.

The Eagles’ resiliency made it a game to the very end. Guards Troy McClanahan and Kohl Jones provided the big shots, each finishing with 17 points.

Forward Tim Neumann recorded an all-around effort, 11 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

Jones made it a one-point game by hitting a jumper with 1 minute, 46 seconds left.

CdM went back ahead, 57-54, on Donovan’s two clutch free throws in a one-and-one situation.

On the ensuing inbound pass, CdM guard Parker Stone stole the ball near the end of the Sea Kings’ bench. He called a timeout before getting fouled.

The kinds of mistakes Estancia committed in the opening quarter returned late in the game, costing Beerbower his first career victory.

Donovan made sure of it by matching a season-high in points. The same player Beerbower kept saying, “That guy is killing us!” did so again.

Donovan knocked down two free throws with 18 seconds left, giving him 12 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

In the second half, Donovan went eight for nine from the floor and four for five from the free-throw line.

Through it all, Beerbower remained calm. He wasn’t nervous.

“I was more nervous about the players to see how they would play and if they were going to be ready and how they would react to my coaching style,” Beerbower said.

Players bought into Beerbower’s approach.

“It was different,” Neumann said of having Beerbower guide Estancia instead of Heredia. “It was kind of more intense because Brian brings something different to the table for us.”

Schachter is looking for something to spark the Sea Kings, who continued their erratic play from the KSA Holiday Classic, where they went 1-2.

“There were times when [Schachter] just put all the starters on the bench because of lack of focus, toughness,” said Donovan, who hit four three-pointers and had seven rebounds and three steals. “We just didn’t do what we needed to do and it definitely taught us a lesson.”

Nonleague

Corona del Mar 59, Estancia 54

SCORE BY QUARTERS

E – McClanahan 17, Jones 17, Neumann 11, Knapp 5, Cherney 4.

3-pt. goals – McClanahan 3, Jones 1, Neumann 1, Knapp 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

CdM – Donovan 37, Gallian 10, Jones 6, Quon 3, Cheek 3.

3-pt. goals – Donovan 4, Cheek 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.