Breakers take down Dana Hills Dolphins

The Laguna Beach High boys’ basketball team went to Dana Hills Wednesday for a nonleague matchup against the Dolphins, and came away with a 53-45 victory.

Sophomore guard Charlie Rounaghi paced with a game-high 19 points, and senior guard Darin Richardson was the other Breaker in double-figures with 14 points. Senior guard Isaac Wulff and senior center Nick Rahder both had five points, sophomore forward Adam Armstrong four points, senior guard Spencer Wong three points, and sophomore guard Owen McMurray and junior guard Karam Jones had two and one points, respectively.

“We played good team basketball and defended well,” said Coach Bret Fleming whose Beakers improved to 4-2.

In its first week of its season, Laguna went 3-2 overall and took third place in the Silver bracket of the Grizzly Invitational which wrapped Saturday at Godinez High.

In their final game of the tournament, the Breakers routed Orange Coast League rival Costa Mesa, 60-20, a performance Fleming said was “by far the best we played in the tournament.” Rahder topped all scorers with 17 points followed by Richardson with 15 points. Wulff had nine points, Wong five points, Rounaghi and Jones four points each, and Armstrong, McMurray and junior forward Ryan Meisberger two points apiece.

Sophomore forward Blake Burzell, who sprained his ankle in the first quarter of Friday’s tournament loss to Fountain Valley, didn’t play against the Mustangs or Wednesday at Dana Hills.

Laguna is back on the road Friday for a 7 p.m. nonleague game at Irvine. The Breakers start play Tuesday in the Charlie Wilkins Memorial Tournament at Westminster High, and will face Bellflower in their opener. They also play a tournament game Wednesday against Huntington Beach.

The Charlie Wilkins Memorial Tournament runs through Dec. 19.

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Girls’ Basketball

The Breakers got off to a huge halftime hole Wednesday against Garden Grove at the Hawk Holiday Classic at Ocean View High and couldn’t recover in falling to the Argonauts, 39-17.

Laguna trailed at the half, 31-5, but adjusted defensively in the second half where it outscored the Argonauts, 12-8.

The Breakers (2-4) shot just 12% (six of 48) for the game.

“Garden Grove is simply too big and skilled for us,” Laguna Coach Mark Lewis said. “I thought we competed but just don’t have the size to contend with them. We didn’t shoot the ball well. Some of that was their length bothering our shots, some of it was missing shots.”

Senior forward Alexandra Lewis hit a pair of three-point shots and finished with eight points. Senior guard/forward Jackie Cenan had six points, junior forward Rachel Kenney two points, and senior guard Amy Nygaard had one point.

In their tournament opener Monday at Ocean View, the Breakers trailed Rancho Alamitos throughout, rallied late but fell short in an eventual, 44-41 loss to the Vaqueros. Cenan led the Breakers with 16 points and Lewis hit four three-point shots en route to 14 points. Nicole Davidson added seven points and Kenney and junior forward Marissa Lee both had two points.

“We came out flat and remained flat for most of the game,” Mark Lewis said. “I thought we played rather uninspired with no sense of urgency, fight, or enthusiasm. I believe we are the better, more talented team but Rancho simply wanted it more than we did.

“Our execution offensively wasn’t where it had been during the CdM tourney and defensively we were sluggish and often out of position. We let a great opportunity get away from us. It is unfortunate as we had been playing so well coming off a good week at the Corona del Mar tourney. I look for us to turn things around in the rest of the Ocean View tourney and come out with a sense of urgency and compete.”

In their final game of the Corona del Mar Tournament Saturday, the Breakers rolled past Los Amigos, 58-25. Cenan led all scorers with 23 points, Alexandra Lewis had 11 points and Davidson nine points. Kenney and Lee each had four points, Jasmine Banks three points, and Nygaard and senior forward Elise Pontius had two points apiece.

The Breakers went 2-2 at the tournament. Their two losses were by a combined nine points (47-41, overtime to Segerstrom, 49-46 to San Juan Hills).

“I thought we did well at the CdM tourney,” Mark Lewis said. “The two games we lost, we were super competitive and had a chance to win both. We competed well and played hard. I was encouraged by this early-season play.”

Cenan was named to the all-tournament team.

Laguna (2-4) faced Newport Harbor Thursday at the Hawk Holiday Classic. The score wasn’t available at press time. The tournament continues Friday and concludes Saturday.

The Breakers play their home opener next Wednesday, hosting Laguna Hills in a 6 p.m. nonleague game.