Tengan twins fuel Fountain Valley comeback against CdM

Fountain Valley's Margaret Tengan (12) runs into the arm of Corona del Mar's Alexa Rokos as she drives to the basket.

By Andrew TurnerStaff Writer

Feb. 1, 2022 4:16 PM PT

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Twin sisters Audrey and Margaret Tengan said Monday night they do not intend to play college basketball, nor attend the same college together.

Every moment shared on the court right now is precious for a dynamic duo that has helped launch the Fountain Valley High School girls’ basketball team to the top of the Sunset Conference.

Having started the conference split four seasons ago as a member of the Wave League, the Barons have established themselves as the frontrunner in the upper-tier Surf League after receiving that promotion last season.

Margaret Tengan scored a game-high 21 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 9.1 seconds remaining, to lift Fountain Valley to a 48-46 win over Corona del Mar at home on senior night.

Fountain Valley's Margaret and Audrey Tengan (11) embrace in victory as teammates Sarah Henry and Audrey Chow (1) join in.

“You just kind of forget about that and just play like you would,” said Margaret Tengan of playing in pressure moments. “You got to know what you need, but other than that, just play like usual.”

The game-winner came from a couple feet beyond the top of the arc. The Sea Kings had a chance to answer, but Haley Esquino’s three-pointer from the wing did not fall as time expired.

Fountain Valley (17-5, 4-0), which did not hold its first lead until Audrey Tengan’s steal and layup gave the Barons a 29-28 advantage with 51 seconds left in the third quarter, led for less than four minutes of the contest. The play capped a rally from 10 points down, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

“It felt good to have a lot of people here supporting us as a team,” Audrey Tengan said. “I just wanted to do my best and make the shots that I needed to make.”

Haley Esquino (3) of Corona del Mar drives to the basket between two Fountain Valley defenders.

Corona del Mar (13-10, 3-1) had retaken the lead at 34-32 on a shot-clock-beating corner three by Esquino off a baseline inbounds pass by Sarah Audiss with 5:30 remaining.

The Tengan twins combined for 41 points on the evening, with Audrey Tengan pouring in 20 points. Sariah Loftis and Hannah Walsh each had three points for the Barons.

“I think the thing that I really want to say about the two of them is they’re just amazing young women,” Fountain Valley coach Marianne Karp said of the Tengan twins. “It’s not just their basketball skills. They do things for the community. They do so many things, but they just don’t believe in quitting, and they never will. They’ve been like that since they were freshmen on this team.”

Makena Tomlinson was a force in the paint for CdM. She scored 15 points, scoring four field goals off offensive rebounds.

Fountain Valley's Audrey Tengan, right, pulls a rebound from CdM's Myla Zapanta during a Surf League girls' basketball game.

The Sea Kings clinched a playoff spot on Monday with help from Huntington Beach (12-12, 1-4), which took Los Alamitos (13-8, 1-4) out of contention for one of the league’s two automatic playoff berths by beating the Griffins 45-42.

If CdM wins out, it could still earn at least a share of the Surf League title. The Sea Kings play host to Los Alamitos on Wednesday and Fountain Valley on Friday.

“We had a rough start,” CdM coach Brason Alexander said. “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, so as far as the season goes, we’ve been taking it minute by minute, moment by moment. We’ll think about Friday after Wednesday, because it ain’t going to matter if you don’t take care of business and kind of get things right.

“We’re going to go minute by minute. This one’s going to sting, but as soon as we hit the floor tomorrow, we’re on to the next one, and I have great kids and they’ve done a great job.”