Girls’ Basketball: CdM in title game

You can watch a lot of basketball and never see what happened Friday night at Corona del Mar High.

CdM junior center Krista Anderson rebounded a free throw in the final two minutes of the game, and proceeded to mistakenly shoot at the wrong basket. Not only that, but she was fouled on the play by Chynna Autelle of Tustin. With CdM in the bonus, Anderson got to go to the other end and shoot two free throws of her own.

Anderson was able to smile about the play afterward. Luckily for CdM, it was academic at that point

“A little bit of humor for this game,” CdM Coach Mark Decker said after his team clamped down for a 49-29 win over Tustin in a CdM Tip-Off Tournament semifinal game.

The Sea Kings (3-0) will play Westminster, a 66-58 winner over El Modena in the other semifinal, in the tournament title game Saturday at 7 p.m. at Northwood High.

For CdM, it was another pretty dominant effort against a physical team from Tustin (2-1). The Sea Kings have now won their first three games of their host tournament by an average of 28 points.

Defense was a key Friday, as the Sea Kings held Tustin to just six field goals for the entire game.

“Today I think our defensive intensity, just from the beginning, was much higher than it had been,” said CdM senior forward Maria King, who scored a game-high 15 points that included seven of eight made free throws. “That just led to a whole game of just hard defense. It’s really just effort and going out there after the extra balls, and I think our team really went for it this time.”

Senior guard Brianna Westrup had all of her nine points in the first quarter for CdM. Junior Natalia Bruening contributed eight points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, while Anderson had four points, four rebounds and also three blocks.

Senior point guard Kelly Tam had six points and a game-high four steals for the winners.

CdM took a double-digit lead on Westrup’s three-pointer late in the first quarter. Tustin senior guard Mersadez Barajas responded with a three-pointer of her own with a second left, cutting the Tillers’ deficit after one to 18-8, but the lead never went down to single digits again.

“Our team dynamic is really good this year,” said King, a four-year varsity player. “Three games in and we’re already, I think, a really strong team. As we keep playing, we’re just going to keep getting better. I think that we really have a good shot this year in league and CIF.”

Senior forward Sydney Means led Tustin with 11 points.

CdM is trying to capture the Tip-Off Tournament title for the first time since 2008. Decker said he expects a challenge against Westminster in the championship game.

“They’re tough,” he said. “I think they’ve been in the finals three out of the last four years that they’ve been here. They have some great shooters, some post players. It’ll be a tough game for us. I’m looking forward to that.”

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CdM Tip-Off Tournament

Semifinal

Corona del Mar 49, Tustin 29

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Tust 8 – 4 – 6 – 11 — 29

CdM 18 – 8 – 11 – 12 — 49

Tust – Means 11, B. Barajas 7, Autelle 4, M. Barajas 3, Kibin 2, Del Aguila 2.

3-pt. goals – M. Barajas 1.

Fouled out – M. Barajas, Kibin.

Technicals – None.

CdM – King 16, Westrup 9, Bruening 8, Tam 6, Anderson 4, Yoo 4, Wall 2.

3-pt. goals – King 1, Westrup 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.