Boys basketball: Sea Kings fall to Mission Viejo

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - The Corona del Mar High boys basketball team heads

into Pacific Coast League play on a down note, losing to visiting Mission

Viejo, 63-41, Friday night.

“We played well early, but Mission Viejo would go on a scoring spurt

and we would fall into a lull,” CdM Coach Paul Orris said. “At times, I

thought the kids played like they didn’t believe they could compete with

them. We’ve got to learn to play tougher when the other team gets on a

roll.”

Senior Eric Snell led the Sea Kings (6-10) with 13 points, while senior Idean Shahangian chipped in 12.

Corona del Mar hung tough early with the Diablos (11-5), but a 12-2 run closed out the first quarter with the Sea Kings in a 17-7 hole.

Mission Viejo jumped out quickly in the second quarter, scoring five

quick points for a 15-point advantage.

CdM regrouped and cut the lead down to nine before another

late-quarter run (11-2) extended the Diablos’ lead to 18.

“We play on such a fine line when it comes to execution,” Orris said.

“If we make a bad pass or a bad decision, it comes back and hurts us big

time.”

The lead grew to 20 in the third quarter before CdM managed to put

together a solid 10-2 run of its own.

Snell and Charlie Alshuler (six points) helped cut the Mission Viejo

lead down to 14 and put the Sea Kings back into the ball game.

“It was a nice run for us,” Orris said. “We seemed to pick up our

intensity, but that’s so hard to sustain over a long period of time.”

CdM’s 10-2 spurt was countered by an 8-2 Mission Viejo run and the

lead was back up to 20 after three quarters.

The Diablos were led by Travis Niesen (14 points), Matt Cole (12) and

Joe Fleskoski (10).

“They had some size on us and they were able to take advantage of

that,” Orris said.

The Sea Kings now enter the world of the PCL, where they play at

Laguna Beach Tuesday night at 7.

Despite the tough start, Orris believes that it’s still not too late

for a team turnaround.

“It’s a pretty competitive league,” Orris said. “University and

Northwood appear to be the teams to beat, while Costa Mesa plays real

solid. I truly believe that if we can play the way I think we’re capable

of playing, we can compete with anyone in the league.”

NONLEAGUE

Mission Viejo 63, Corona del Mar 41

Mission Viejo 17 18 14 14 - 63

Corona del Mar 7 10 12 12 - 41

Mission Viejo - Niesen 14, Cole 12, Fleskoski 10, Valentine 8, Villanueva 5, Miller 4, Ralph 4, Moses 3, Hanson 2, Garay 1.

3 pt. goals - Niesen 2, Villanueva 1.

Fouled out - none.

Corona del Mar - Snell 13, Shahangian 12, Alshuler 6, Marston 4, K.

Mancillas 2, Brewster 2, Richardson 2, Grey 0, Glass 0, Reynolds 0, B.

Mancillas 0.

3 pt. goals - Shahangian 2, Snell 2.

Fouled out - none.