Coast Christmas Tournament : Corona del Mar Gains Semifinals, 60-51

Matt Cwiertnia scored 19 points Monday to lead the Corona del Mar High School boys’ basketball team to a 60-51 victory over Los Alamitos in one quarterfinal of the Coast Christmas tournament at Estancia High School.

Corona del Mar (7-4) plays Long Beach Jordan in a semifinal game at 8:40 tonight. Jordan defeated Edgewood, 79-64, Monday.

Corona del Mar broke the game open with 4:51 left in the half on a 17-8 run that erased an 18-16 Los Alamitos lead. Cwiertnia, a junior forward, scored 10 points during the rally.

Brian Spratt had 14 points and Geoff Probst 12 for the Sea Kings.

Los Alamitos (7-5) closed to within eight, 58-50, with 1:40 left on consecutive three-point baskets by senior guard Brett Pagett, who finished with 15 points. Los Alamitos’ Dre Lamoureux, who has been averaging 17 points this season, was held to 12.

Los Alamitos plays Edgewood in a fifth-place semifinal game at 3:40 today.

In the championship round:

Edison 44, Irvine 41--Each team scored 28 points in the second half as Edison’s three-point halftime lead held up. Edison’s Chip Hanlon led all scorers with 13 points and Dave Ballantyne led Irvine (5-6) with 11 points. Edison (8-4) will face Mission Viejo in tonight’s other semifinal at 7.

Mission Viejo 77, Cypress 48--Ahead by just five points after the first quarter, Mission Viejo outscored Cypress, 37-13, in the next two quarters for a commanding lead. Diablo center Jeff Springfield had a game-high 17 points and Jacob Forbes, Eric Cramer and Tom Tkach added 10 points each. Guard Greg Bedford led Cypress with 14 points.

In the consolation round:

Huntington Beach 61, Sonora 56--Huntington Beach used a full-court press to overcome a seven-point Sonora lead in the final six minutes. Jeff Long scored 15 and Richard Hughes had 10 for Huntington Beach (4-7), which plays Costa Mesa in a consolation-semifinal at 12:20 today.

Costa Mesa 66, Dana Hills 47--Tim Nguyen had 23 points and Paul Kos 20 to lead the Mustangs.

Laguna Hills 71, Hoover 65--Chris Sheff scored 26 points and Mike Smedes 24 to lead the Hawks. Glendale Hoover led by three points entering the fourth quarter but were outscored, 24-15. Sheff and Smedes combined for 18 points in the final quarter. Laguna Hills will play Estancia at 2 today in the consolation semifinals.

Estancia 65, Warren 60--The E a gles were led by Mike Curtis, who scored 23 points. Augustin Heredia helped Estancia hold off the Bears by making 6 of 7 free throws in the fourth quarter.