ORANGE HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL : Kennedy Takes the Title When Marina’s Shot Falls Short

Guard Vlad Nieto’s 16-foot jump shot with one second remaining fell short, and so did Marina High School’s bid for the championship of the Orange Holiday Invitational Wednesday night at Chapman University’s Hutton Sports Center.

Instead, Kennedy claimed its second tournament title of the season with a 37-36 victory over Marina in a game that was short on points but long on excitement.

Kennedy, which won the Irvine World News Tournament, added more hardware to the trophy case by using an effective 1-2-2 press and strong inside defense.

Kennedy (9-3) won its eighth consecutive game but only after nearly blowing a six-point lead down the stretch. Marina (8-5) nearly pulled off another upset behind the shooting of Nieto.

Marina trailed, 37-31, with six minutes remaining but got close after two free throws by reserve Kevin Sullivan and a three-pointer by Nieto.

Nieto had a chance to win the game after Marina had taken a timeout with 24 seconds left, but the Vikings had problems getting untracked when they returned to the court.

“We did a poor job at the end,” said Marina Coach Greg Hoffman. “Our offensive inexperience cost us in the end. That last possession was a reflection of the whole 32 minutes.”

Nieto was the only effective player for Marina and finished with a game-high 23 points.

The Vikings made only 12 of 36 shots and committed 18 turnovers.

“I said before the game that we’ll play them tough defensively and beat them,” said Kennedy Coach John Mayberry. “I didn’t care how much we scored. Defense was going to win this game.”

It was a very physical game but Kennedy forward Jeff Cummins managed to keep his cool. Cummins made the big plays when it counted most, scoring 13 points and getting seven rebounds. Afterward, he was named the most valuable player.

“Jeff took charge, he wanted this game,” Mayberry said. “He came into the locker room at halftime and told the team, ‘Stop griping, let’s just play.’ When things got tough, Jeff rose to the occasion.”

Kennedy took control from the outset, building a 14-8 lead. But Marina came back to tie the score, 14-14, when Nieto made his second three-pointer. The game remained close with Marina surging ahead, 27-24, in the third quarter only to see Kennedy stage a comeback.

Guard Paul Pappas’ three-point shot with 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Kennedy a 33-28 lead and the Irish extended the lead to 37-31 when center Rich Anderson scored on a follow shot.

“We had a little more rebounding strength inside,” Mayberry said. “That one series (where Cummins, Pat Kunz and Anderson all got offensive boards) really killed them.”

In the third-place game:

Santa Margarita 48, Laguna Hills 40 (OT)--Guard Jason Stipher had five points in overtime, including a key three-point shot, and teammate Bobby Nolan added four points in the extra three-minute period. Santa Margarita (9-2) outscored Laguna Hills, 11-3, in overtime.

In the fifth-place game:

Laguna Beach 51, Long Beach Wilson 46--Tig Garner scored 19 points for Laguna Beach, which opened a 15-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the consolation round:

Loara 51, Orange 45--Jeff Gardio scored 17 points and teammates Scott Davis and Rob Harris added 11 points each for Loara. Loara outscored Orange, 12-5, in the second quarter to take a 25-16 halftime lead.