Boys’ Basketball: CdM stays in third in PCL
IRVINE — At this stage in the season, Corona del Mar High boys’ basketball coach Ryan Schachter tends to get superstitious. He usually keeps letting his beard grow, or he keeps wearing a sweater vest to games.
On Tuesday, Schachter didn’t want a certain reporter to cover his team because said reporter covered the Sea Kings the last time they faced Northwood. The Sea Kings lost to Northwood a couple of weeks ago, pretty much ending CdM’s chance of defending its Pacific Coast League title.
“I told you not to come,” Schachter jokingly said to the reporter.
The real problem was that Schachter’s team didn’t show up in the first quarter at Northwood. Three points is all the Sea Kings scored in the first eight minutes.
The Sea Kings fell behind by 15 points, and for the second time this season, they dug themselves a hole early against the Timberwolves. They couldn’t come back and make it a game in the fourth like the last time.
Northwood stayed undefeated in league with a 59-47 win. Tim O’Brien, the legendary coach from Estancia, has Northwood playing at a high level.
One more regular-season game remains for the Timberwolves, who are trying to complete their first 10-0 finish in league in three years.
The Sea Kings on the other hand are trying to secure one of the league’s three automatic berths into the CIF Southern Section playoffs. They saw their three-game winning streak in league snapped, dropping the Sea Kings to 5-4 in league.
“We were never really in it, even though we were down seven at half,” Schachter said. “The big difference was their energy was just a lot higher than ours. They played like league champs and we played like a third-place team.”
Third place is where CdM is in the league standings. The Sea Kings’ league finale is Thursday at Irvine, and it’s a must-win situation for CdM.
Irvine hasn’t been able to beat any team in league. A victory here for CdM opens up a possibility for the Sea Kings to move up to second, if Northwood wins at Beckman on Thursday. Beckman fell to 6-3 in league after losing at home to Woodbridge, 77-68, on Tuesday.
Sharing second in a tough league like the Pacific Coast League could benefit CdM when it comes to opening the Division 3A playoffs at home or on the road. Second should ensure the Sea Kings an opening round game at home, third most likely means they’re traveling.
“We can’t worry about [the postseason] right now,” said Schachter, whose team is one game ahead of fourth-place University. “We’re trying to get better. We’re trying to compete.”
The Sea Kings, ranked No. 7 in Division 3A, didn’t look like they were in postseason form against Northwood (21-5, 9-0 in league), No. 6 in Division 2A.
One shot is all CdM made in the opening quarter. The Timberwolves scored nine of the first 10 points before Sam Kobrine, who led CdM with 15 points, came up with a steal and raced in for a layup.
The first quarter proved disastrous for the Sea Kings (18-8). They turned the ball over six times. They shot one of nine from the field and one of three from the free-throw line. And they trailed, 18-3.
The player who recorded half of Northwood’s first-quarter points was Akshay Harishankar. The junior guard knocked down his first four shots before he misfired.
Harishankar finished with 17 points and six rebounds, while Jake Linsky led Northwood with 19 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Devin Owens (11 points) was the hosts’ third player in double figures.
Only Kobrine and Matt Ctvrtlik reached double figures for CdM, which shot 34.1% from the field and 59.1% from the charity stripe. Ctvrtlik recorded 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Already without 6-foot-3 forward Chase Garbers because of an ankle injury, CdM lost another key player off the bench in Mitch Haly. Early in the second half, the 6-5 Haly hurt his left ankle.
“Especially with both of them [out] now, it’s going to make it even more difficult,” Schachter said. “But we just got to step up. That’s the bottom of line. Guys got to step up. Guys got to play harder.”
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Pacific Coast League
Northwood 59, Corona del Mar 47
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Corona del Mar 3 – 15 – 12 – 17 — 47
Northwood 18 – 7 – 19 – 15— 59
CdM – S. Kobrine 15, Ctvrtlik 14, Rodman 7, Coffman 6, Cuevas 3, K. Kobrine 2.
3-pt. goals – Ctvrtlik 3, S. Kobrine 2, Rodman 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – Coach.
NW – Linsky 19, Harishankar 17, Owens 11, Huynh 6, Sigurdarson 3, Maragay 2, Matsutsuyu 1.
3-pt. goals – Owens 2, Harishankar 1, Huynh 1, Sigurdarson.
Fouled out – Huynh.
Technicals – None.
