Prep Basketball Playoffs / THIRD ROUND : DIVISION IV-AA : Sea Kings Use Patience, Top Banning

Any team averaging 95 points a game is in for somewhat of a shock when it meets Corona del Mar.

The Sea Kings relied on their traditional man defense and patient offense to shut down Banning’s full-throttle attack and earned a 71-61 victory in the Division IV-AA semifinals Friday night at Estancia High School.

Corona del Mar (16-12), an at-large entry in the playoffs, advances to the IV-AA championship Friday against Playa del Rey St. Bernard at a site to be determined. The final will mark the Sea Kings’ third trip to a Southern Section championship game in five years.

Banning (19-6), the No. 2 seeded team, apparently wasn’t accustomed to the type of defensive pressure Corona del Mar applied. Meanwhile, Corona del Mar took advantage of Banning’s defense throughout the game.

“We knew we could get our points against them, but we sure as heck weren’t going to let them get theirs,” Corona del Mar Coach Paul Orris said. “I don’t think they see our kind of defense in the league they play in (DeAnza).”

Although Corona del Mar held a 51-35 lead with 1 minute 14 seconds left in the third quarter, it was the Sea Kings who looked like they weren’t prepared for Banning’s style of trapping defense. Corona del Mar saw the lead whittled to 51-45 two minutes into the fourth quarter after a 10-0 Banning run keyed by Bronco steals and Sea King turnovers.

“We got a little worrisome then, and we were just passing the ball with no purpose,” Orris said. “But we weathered it.”

The Sea Kings weathered it by making 15 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter, including four of four in the final two minutes by Eli Wendell. Earlier, Kyle Thompson’s three-pointer with 3:10 left gave Corona del Mar a 58-51 lead and momentum after Banning’s Lamar Malone had cut the lead to 55-51 20 seconds earlier.

Corona del Mar was 30 of 39 from the line.

Corona del Mar had four players in double figures, led by center Preston Smead’s 13 points. Todd Merriman, Chris Quinn and Wendell each scored 12, with Quinn adding a game-high 14 rebounds.