CdM falls in semis again
WESTMINSTER — Prior to the tipoff, Corona del Mar High Coach Ryan Schachter complained about the air conditioner inside the gym. There really was no need to run the air inside at Westminster High on Friday night when it was cold outside.
The AC didn’t help Schachter, who’s battling a cold. His boys’ basketball team dealt with the cold as well, cold shooting in the fourth quarter of the semifinals of the Charlie Wilkins Memorial tournament.
The Sea Kings couldn’t overcome their offensive woes. They failed to make a field goal in the final quarter until the 1:52 mark. By then, Los Alamitos distanced itself from CdM en route to a 55-47 win.
Eyassu Worku finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and four three-pointers, setting up the Griffins (7-1), ranked No. 13 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA preseason poll, with a showdown with Hemet Tahquitz (8-1), No. 6 in Division 3A, in the tournament final on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tahquitz edged Los Angeles Price, 58-57, in the other semifinal on Friday.
The Sea Kings (5-2), No. 4 in Division 3A, face Price (7-1), No. 1 in Division 6, in the third-place game on Saturday at 6 p.m. Schachter’s team finds itself playing for third place for the second straight time in a tournament.
The reason why the Sea Kings were ousted in the semifinals of their own CdM Beach Bash tournament last week was understandable. They went up against powerhouse Mater Dei and they couldn’t keep up with the Monarchs’ superior athleticism and talent in the second half, losing 67-44, as well as forward Kevin Fults to a knee injury.
In the next semifinal appearance in a tournament, the Sea Kings had Fults, but they couldn’t handle the physical play by Los Alamitos. The Griffins beat CdM to rebounds, grabbing a dozen on the offensive end, and the loose balls.
Los Alamitos’ extra opportunities wore down CdM in the fourth quarter. The teams went into the final 8 minutes knotted at 38-38. Worku broke the tie by knocking down a shot from behind the arc 80 seconds into the fourth. The 6-foot-2 junior guard added another three 1 1/2 minutes later.
The Sea Kings began to fall apart with less than five minutes. In a 9-second span, Ryan Moss traveled and Ryan Stone picked up a technical foul, giving the Griffins two free throws and the ball. Worku converted both shots from the charity stripe to put Los Alamitos up, 46-39. The lead jumped to 11 points on Ryan Kusch’s two straight baskets, the second one coming inside the paint with 2:10 left.
When Bo St. Geme made CdM’s first field goal in the fourth quarter, Schachter called a timeout right after the point guard’s three. Less than a minute later, St. Geme had another three-point play, converting it at the free-throw line after driving in for two. St. Geme, who led CdM with 17 points, cut the deficit to 52-47 with 69 seconds remaining.
The Sea Kings had another chance to eat into Los Alamitos’ lead when the Griffins turned the ball over at the 61-second mark. But CdM was unable to score again, and Jack Kaub (14 points) and Kusch (11) sealed the Griffins’ appearance in the final by hitting free throws late.
“We couldn’t hit a shot and we struggled in the half court,” said Schachter, referring to the fourth quarter in which the Sea Kings shot 30%. “The offensive rebounds killed us. They were more physical. They got more loose balls. They got more offensive rebounds. We seemed a step slow today. We just didn’t give the effort we needed to beat a good team like that.
“We got a real tough one [on Saturday]. We got L.A. Price. [The Knights] got Division 1 players all over the floor.”
George Wilkins Memorial
Semifinals
Los Alamitos 55, Corona del Mar 47
SCORE BY QUARTERS
CdM 14 – 13 – 11 – 9 — 47
Los Al 12 – 14 – 12 – 17 — 55
CdM – St. Geme 17, Kobrine 9, Ctvrtlik 6, Stone 5, Fults 4, Kleinman 2, Ridge 2, Moss 2.
3-pt. goals – St. Geme 2, Kobrine 1, Stone 1, Ctvrtlik 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – Stone.
LA – Worku 20, Kaub 14, Kusch 11, Wirth 8, Laines 1, Pagett 2.
3-pt. goals – Worku 4.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.