PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Technical Fouls Help Trabuco Hills Dump Laguna Beach by 20
A giggle and a thrown jacket helped turn the course of Trabuco Hills’ 64-44 Pacific Coast League victory over Laguna Beach Friday at Trabuco Hills.
Laguna Beach had been giving Trabuco Hills fits with its usual bug-’em-until-they-drop routine. The Artists swarmed and swatted at everything and everyone in their path. It’s the only way the undersized Artists seem to know how to play, and it had them in range late in the second quarter.
Trabuco Hills led, 29-19, with 2 minutes 30 seconds left in the half, after Erik Manning made the first of two free throws. Gavin Vanderputten, the Mustangs’ 6-foot-10 center, rebounded the second and scored on a layup for a 31-19 lead.
A moment later, Vanderputten appeared to have thrown a Laguna Beach player out of his way while battling for position. But the foul went against Laguna Beach’s Eric Fegraus and the Artists’ coaching staff howled in protest.
The referee asked them to be quiet, which brought laughter from the coaches. The ref asked again, producing a giggle from assistant Coby Naess and a technical foul.
A few minutes of calm followed, but that soon ended when Laguna Beach Coach Bret Fleming, angered by still another call against the Artists, took off his jacket and tossed it behind the bench. And that brought another technical foul.
When the dust settled, Trabuco Hills had pushed its lead from 12 points to 20.
Brett Poulos made the four technical free throws, Vanderputten made one of two free throws on the foul that angered Fleming, and Poulos added a three-point basket after Trabuco Hills kept possession following the last two technical free throws.
Ryan Holland swished a three-point basket at the buzzer for good measure and suddenly a 10-point lead had ballooned to 42-19 by halftime.
Laguna Beach (13-9, 3-5 in the league) never threatened in the second half, which amounted to little more than a free throw shooting contest for Trabuco Hills. The Mustangs made 14 of 16 free throws in the second half and 28 of 38 for the game.
Poulos, Vanderputten and Corey Klinke each had 15 points for Trabuco Hills (18-5, 8-0 and No. 3 ranked in Orange County).
Darren Gravley led Laguna Beach with 14 points.
In other league games:
Estancia 59, Laguna Hills 44--Matt Fuerbringer scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds to lead Estancia (19-5, 7-1). Jim Faulkner added 12 points for the Eagles. Laguna Hills is 9-11, 2-6.
Century 70, Costa Mesa 44--Darvin Thompson scored 19 points and Chris Lopez added 13 for Century (15-7, 4-4). Jeff Pickens led Costa Mesa (4-16, 0-8) with 23 points.