Girls basketball: CdM bounced by Los Amigos, 64-52

Richard Dunn

GARDEN GROVE - In the final holiday tournament of the season,

Corona del Mar High is starting to think about overall victories and a

possible chance in the CIF Southern Section girls basketball playoffs.

But, first, Coach Elbert Davis’ Sea Kings (4-10) need to start

accumulating wins.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Davis said, after Los Amigos defeated

CdM, 64-52, in pool play Friday in the 12th annual Cavalier Classic at

Santiago High, where the Sea Kings dropped all three games in their pool.

“I don’t mind losing to other teams that are better than us, but these

are games we’ve got to win ... we’re looking for 10 or 11 wins this

season and getting a chance to go to the CIF playoffs (in which a

double-figure win total is necessary for an at-large invitation).”

For the first time in Davis’ five seasons as CdM’s coach, spanning 11

games, the Sea Kings lost to Los Amigos. “We’d beaten Los Amigos 10

straight times,” Davis said.

Los Amigos (3-8), which led most of the way, received 35 points and 10

rebounds from 5-foot-9 senior center Katie Vindhurst, who sank 13 of 19

from the floor and 7 of 9 from the foul line.

Vindhurst, who made two three-pointers in the first quarter as Los

Amigos built a 15-14 edge, was 6 of 6 from the field in the fourth

quarter as the Lobos pulled away.

Corona del Mar, which will play Rancho Alamitos today at 3:30 p.m. in

a game for seventh place in the eight-team tournament, was led by junior

Kelliann Klein (12 points) and senior Kelly Luu (11), while junior Lucy

Ramsey contributed nine rebounds and senior point guard Andrea Gruber

nine points and two steals.

After Corona del Mar led, 18-17, with 5:43 left in the second quarter,

Los Amigos rallied for nine straight points and never trailed again.

“Defensively, we broke down too many times and gave up too many

layups,” said Davis, whose team pulled to within 37-35 with 2:09

remaining in the third quarter, but never got closer as Los Amigos

started hitting three-pointers.

Lorena Sanchez canned a three-point shot with 1:45 to play in the

third, giving the Lobos a 40-35 lead, then connected on another with 0:05

on the clock for a 43-35 edge by quarter’s end.

Vindhurst scored 13 straight points for Los Amigos to open the fourth

quarter, capped by a three-point play with 3:41 to go in the game as the

Lobos raced to a 56-43 lead. Their biggest lead, 63-47, came with 1:39

left.

In the third quarter, CdM senior Courtney Kawata netted a

three-pointer with 3:32 left and teammate Lauren Snell scored on a layup

with 2:09 remaining to cut their team’s deficit to 37-35.

CAVALIER CLASSIC

Pool play

Los Amigos 64, Corona del Mar 52

Score by Quarters

Corona del Mar 14 10 11 17 - 52 Los Amigos 15 13 15 21 - 64 Corona del Mar - Gruber 9, Kawata 8, Klein 12, Otterbein 0, Luu 11,

Ramsey 6, Stern 2, Snell 4, Marks 0.

3-pt. goals - Kawata 2.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Los Amigos - N. Sanchez 1, Curiel 0, Enriquez 0, L. Sanchez 14,

Vindhurst 35, Nanthavong 12, Phan 2.

3-pt. goals - L. Sanchez 2, Vindhurst 2, Nanthavong 2.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.