Boys basketball: Sea Kings Back Bay champs

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - It was their only chance; it was their last chance.

And the Corona del Mar High seniors closed their one-shot deal with

precision Tuesday, topping Back Bay rival Newport Harbor, 54-49, in a

nonleague boys basketball game at the Sailors’ gym.

“I can’t even tell you how big this was,” said CdM senior Elliott

Patterson, who came off the bench to score six third-quarter points,

helping the Sea Kings (12-4) rally from a one-point halftime deficit.

“I’ve been waiting for this game since the end of last year. We knew we

only played them once. This is so important.”

Though releaguing ended their heated home-and-home league rivalry, this

game had the kind of atmosphere most league contest can only aspire to.

Spirited crowds on both sides, intense play from the outset, and a

frantic finish.

“It has been a long time since I’ve won here,” said CdM Coach Paul Orris,

who got contributions from all seven players he used to end the Sailors’

recent six-game winning streak in the 59-game Back Bay series. CdM

extended its series advantage to 36-23 by earning its first win at Harbor

since 1996.

“(Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst) is a good friend and a great coach

and every time you play at his place, you know it’s going to be a

knock-down, drag-out affair.”

The Sea Kings, who open Pacific Coast League play Friday against Laguna

Beach, were ready against the Tars (10-5 and ranked ninth in Orange

County), though, perhaps, not right away.

Hirst’s hosts used an 11-2 first-quarter run to take an 11-4 advantage,

before CdM senior Kevin Hansen began asserting himself.

Hansen, the Newport-Mesa District scoring leader at 22 points per game

coming in, scored 10 of his team’s next 12 points to destroy the Sailors

comfort zone.

Senior point guard Alec Hanson drilled the first of his three

three-pointers to give the Sea Kings a 21-20 edge with 33 seconds left in

the half, but Harbor senior Dustin Illingworth netted a pair of free

throws to put the Tars up at the break.

CdM, which switched to a zone defense after the first period, utilized a

brilliant two-man offensive game by Hansen and Hanson, as well as

Patterson’s aforementioned spark, to take command after intermission.

However, Harbor, relying on Illingworth and junior guard Aaron Yarnal,

kept things close. Illingworth’s three-point play with 6:06 left brought

the Tars within 41-39 and a Yarnal layin following a steal cut the

deficit to 47-46 with 3:43 left.

Hanson, who finished with 11 points and six assists, sank another

three-pointer with 3:07 left.

But Yarnal answered with a three of his own with 29 ticks remaining to

slice the Sea Kings’ lead to 50-49.

CdM senior Judd Hietbrink was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and

netted both ends of a one-and-one with 25 seconds left. Hietbrink then

intercepted a pass six seconds into Harbor’s ensuing possession and

junior Eric Snell canned two foul shots with 15 seconds left to ice it.

Hietbrink had a team-high seven rebounds.

Hansen finished with a game-high 26 points, making 10 of his final 12

field-goal attempts after sinking just 2 of 6 in the opening quarter.

Illingworth had 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Yarnal scored six of his

10 points in the fourth quarter. Tony Melum came off the bench to add

seven points. The 6-foot-6 sophomore could step into the starting lineup

for Friday’s Sea View League opener against visiting Irvine, after senior

starter Sean Rorden sustained what Hirst believes is a stress fracture in

his right foot early in the second quarter.

Hirst was unimpressed by his team’s performance.

“I think CdM was ready to play and we weren’t,” Hirst said. “(The Sea

Kings) executed everything they wanted and we stopped nothing.”

Orris said it was a total team victory.

“Hansen and Hanson grew up together, they’re best friends, and it really

shows when they work this well together. But two guys didn’t win this

game. We won this game because everyone else filled their roles.”