Basketball playoffs: CdM's shot down

The Sea Kings can't keep up with West Valley.

By STEVE FRYER

OCVarsity.com

NEWPORT BEACH The coach had a bad feeling about this one.

When Corona del Mar boys basketball coach Ryan Schachter first looked at the playoff bracket a week-and-a-half ago, he saw West Valley of Hemet as a potential opponent in the quarterfinals, and as a potential opponent to halt Corona del Mar's season and its quest for another CIF-Southern Section championship.

West Valley used the quickness Schachter had worried about to beat the Sea Kings, 55-50, in a Division III-A quarterfinal Tuesday at Corona del Mar. That ended Corona del Mar's shot at repeating as III-A champion.

Corona del Mar finished 21-8. West Valley's Mustangs (23-3) will play Renaissance Academy of La Canada in the semifinals Friday.

Schachter was familiar with West Valley because the Sea Kings beat the Mustangs in last year's semifinals (Corona del Mar beat Renaissance in the finals). He figured West Valley might be better this season, with the addition of senior guard John Balwigaire, who transferred from Hemet.

�They're really good,� Schachter said after Tuesday's game. �They've got some talent.�

That talent made some big shots against the Sea Kings, who got another strong effort from senior center Stefan Kaluz. A 3-pointer by Balwigaire in the fourth quarter trimmed a Corona del Mar lead to three points, and a 3-pointer by junior guard Eric Lawton a couple of minutes later put the Mustangs ahead to stay, 47-44.

Two free throws by senior forward Kris Brooks gave the Mustangs a 51-45 lead with 1:01 to go. Corona del Mar senior forward Adam Brakeville made a 3-pointer to make it 51-48, but a pair of free throws by Balwigaire with 41 seconds to go created a five-point lead.

Sea Kings senior guard Erik Rask scored on a drive to cut that lead to three one more time. Balwigaire made two free throws with 26 seconds left for a 55-50 lead, and Corona del Mar was unable to find a good shot in the remaining time.

Kaluz, last year's III-A player of the year, scored a game-high 23 points. He was 6 for 7 in the first half, in which he scored 14. Kaluz, a 6-foot-9 center who is going to Brown, also had 12 rebounds.

West Valley's Dakota Downs, a 6-5 junior, had the challenge of guarding Kaluz, who scored 37 against the Mustangs last year. Downs made as much physical contact with Kaluz as he could.

�I just tried to body him up,� Downs said. �He's a big guy and he's very strong.�

Joseph Burton, a 6-8 and 285-pound junior, led West Valley with 17 points and 14 rebounds.