PREP BASKETBALL : Coast Tournament : Edison Finally Gets Going : Late Running Game Makes the Difference in 50-49 Victory

The Coast Christmas Tournament final was too slow for Edison High School and ended too quickly for Corona del Mar.

Edison won the tournament Wednesday, defeating Corona del Mar, 50-49, in the Estancia gym. The Chargers (10-4) outscored Corona del Mar, 18-17, in the fourth quarter by getting some semblance of its running game going.

Edison’s last four field goals were made via the running game. When guard Dirk Paul looked left, then threw right on a break, setting up Alvin Loftis (10 points) for a layup, Edison had a 48-43 lead with a little more than a minute remaining.

Running was something the Chargers had not done all night. At the start of the game, Edison went more than four minutes without scoring a basket. The same thing happened in the third quarter.

“Corona del Mar played at a pace that’s slower than we’re used to playing,” said John Borchert, Edison coach. “It’s a pace that ends up in 50-point ballgames.”

Edison, a team that depends on pressure defense and transition, scored 72 points in the semifinals against Mission Viejo.

Corona del Mar (8-4) rallied late in the game. A three-point shot by Geoff Probst (11 points) with 27 seconds left drew the Sea Kings to within two, 48-46.

After Loftis made two free throws to put Edison ahead, 50-46, with seven seconds left, Corona del Mar’s Matt Herrington (seven points) made a three-point shot with a second left on the clock.

The Sea Kings immediately signaled for a time out, but by the time the referees went to call for it, time had expired. Or had it?

The referees discussed the matter for a minute, then ruled the game over.

“The guy watched the shot, then turned his head to look at the clock, by that time it was over,” said Paul Orris, Corona del Mar coach.

Borchert said: “That was pretty anti-climactic. I’ve never had a game end like that.”

Edison’s Chip Hanlon, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored 15 points.

In other tournament games:

Mission Viejo 61, L.B. Jordan 47--The Diablos (6-6) jumped to an 18-6 in the first quarter and went on to win the third-place game.

Los Alamitos 62, Irvine 59 (OT)--Forward Tony Ware (15 points) connected on three free throws and center Dre Lamoureux scored two of his total 15 points in overtime to give the Griffins (9-5) the fifth-place victory.

Huntington Beach 65, Estancia 54--Jeff Long scored 19 points and Andy Thompson 17 to lead the Oilers (6-7) to the consolation championship.

Cypress 68, Edgewood 66--Joe Pinkston, who had 20 points, scored at the buzzer for the Centurions (4-8) in the seventh-place game.

Dana Hills 67, Hoover 60--The Dolphins (5-6), led by Tyrone Meixsell’s 18 points and John Lloyd’s 17, won the 13th-place game at Estancia.

Laguna Hills 79, Costa Mesa 62--The Hawks outscored the Mustangs (3-9) in every quarter to win the 11th-place game at Estancia.