Girls’ Basketball: Nolan leads Laguna Beach past Costa Mesa
When the stakes are high, it helps to have a little extra energy.
That is what senior night can provide, especially for teams that are carried by their veteran leadership.
Laguna Beach High’s girls’ basketball team started four seniors on Monday night. All played heavy minutes in a key victory for the Breakers.
Laura Nolan had 24 points, eight rebounds, and five steals to lead the Breakers past Costa Mesa, 48-42, in an Orange Coast League game at Laguna Beach High.
The Breakers (8-17, 4-5 in league) won their third consecutive game, earning themselves the opportunity to play for third place in league when they travel to Saddleback on Wednesday night. The Roadrunners were 9-13 overall, 4-4 in league entering Monday.
In the teams’ first meeting, Saddleback won, 54-49.
“We talked about it three games ago,” Breakers Coach Matthew Tietz said. “We’ve got four steps. We take them one step at a time.”
“We take the win, we move onto the next one. If we win all four, we’ve got at least a tie of third place.”
Only one step remains. That goes for the Breakers, and the same can be said for the team’s four-year point guard Nicole Davidson.
“Hopefully, we can make it to CIF,” she said, adding that Laguna Beach has made the playoffs in each of her previous three seasons.
Davidson had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in her final regular-season home game.
Nolan, who transferred in from Irvine’s University High, would like to make some more memories with her fellow seniors.
“Just knowing that it is possible is great,” Nolan said of being alive in the playoff hunt. “We go one game at a time. It would be great for us to go our senior year.”
“It’s our last games ever playing, so we just wanted to go out with a blast.”
Nolan’s 24 points were a game-high. She hurt the Mustangs (9-15, 5-4) on the fastbreak, scoring three times on transition layups in the fourth quarter.
The Breakers shooting guard scored all nine of her team’s points in the final period.
That is when the pressure was applied by Costa Mesa. The Mustangs trailed, 39-32, entering the fourth, but Katie Belmontes (22 points, 11 rebounds) scored the first seven points of the quarter to make it 39-37.
Nolan scored back-to-back baskets in the open court, making it 43-37 with 3:48 to go. It would never be a one-possession game the rest of the way.
“We use her athleticism out on the break,” Tietz said. “If we can ever get the ball turned over and get her out in the open court, she can slice through defenses in transition.”
“We get any opportunities like that, we just tell her to go.”
Laguna Beach received solid contributions from its entire starting unit. Rachel Kenney and Marissa Lee were honored in the pre-game senior night ceremony.
Kenney had four points and eight rebounds. Lee had six points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Sophomore center Lily Albritton pulled down 14 rebounds.
Malia Tufuga had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists for the Mustangs. Samantha Filner added six points on two three-pointers.
Tufuga rolled her right ankle with 3:32 left. She returned for the final push, and Mustangs Coach Carlos Juarez said she should be good to go for the team’s season finale against Estancia (5-19, 2-6 entering Monday).
The Battle for the Bell was a source of trouble for the Mustangs earlier in the season. Estancia won the first matchup, 47-44, on Jan. 24.
“Throw out the records in rivalry games,” Juarez said.
The Mustangs coach added that he would like to win the game by at least four points to secure the season series on a points tiebreaker.
If Costa Mesa wins the game, it will finish second in league.
Orange Coast League
Laguna Beach 48, Costa Mesa 42
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Costa Mesa – 6 - 12 - 12 - 12 – 42
Laguna Beach – 6 - 19 - 14 - 9 – 48
CM – Belmontes 22, Tufuga 10, Filner 6, James 2, Ortiz 2.
3-pt. goals – Tufuga 2, Belmontes 1, Filner 2.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
LB – Nolan 24, Davidson 12, Lee 6, Kenney 4, Albritton 2.
3-pt. goals – Davidson 2, Nolan 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
