San Clemente Towers Over Esperanza

Exploiting its size advantage and getting clutch play from Kim Buffum and Lyndsey Maule, third-ranked San Clemente defeated fourth-ranked Esperanza, 59-55, in the championship of the South Coast Holiday Classic Saturday at University High.

Maule scored five points in the final minute of the first half to help wipe out a seven-point deficit, and Buffum’s steal of an inbounds pass and subsequent layup gave San Clemente an insurmountable 56-51 lead with 2 minutes 11 seconds remaining.

Buffum, who scored 10, also made three of four free throws in the final eight seconds.

Those contributions were part of a larger effort by 6-foot-1 junior Megan Blackshire, 6-1 senior Kristin Jenkins and 6-2 freshman Lindsey Pluimer.

Blackshire, the tournament most valuable player, scored 13 points and had seven rebounds. Jenkins had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Pluimer had 10 points and 12 rebounds. They helped give San Clemente a 39-25 rebounding advantage.

“They were scoring on their missed shots,” said Esperanza Coach Marc Hill, whose team lost to San Clemente in the season opener, 52-47.

San Clemente converted 23 of 52 shots from the field. Esperanza was 22 of 53.

“I told the girls that I would rather have a missed shot than a turnover,” said Triton Coach Mary Mulligan. “For us, a missed shot is an offensive opportunity.”

San Clemente is 5-0. Esperanza is 3-2, with both losses to the Tritons.

“Before the season began,” Mulligan said, “I would have been very happy with a split.”

Instead, the Tritons got the sweep. They play top-ranked Troy on Tuesday.