Breakers win consolation title

Laguna Beach High boys’ basketball opened the season with a successful outing “” three wins and one loss “” to win the consolation championship at Westminster’s La Quinta Tournament recently.

Following last year’s undefeated Orange Coast League championship team, this year’s team faces new challenges. After losing four of last year’s starters, only senior guard Adam Selevan returns with a year of varsity experience on the court.

Selevan was chosen as first team all-league last year and expectations are high for him this year. His first outing this week hopefully will set the tone for the remaining season, as Selevan was chosen by the La Quinta Tournament organizers as first-team all-tournament.

The opening game on Nov. 30 against the host of the tournament, the La Quinta Aztecs, revealed how inexperienced the Breakers are. Turnovers and lack of aggressive rebounding proved to burden the Laguna players. Despite their loss, Tyler Masukawa scored 20 points to lead the team, with Selevan helping out with 13.

Andrew Levin once again showed his three-point soft-touch with two from deep outside (six points). Brandon Lewis showed real poise as a young sophomore in his first varsity outing in the 53-46 loss.

The following evening, the Breakers woke up and revealed their pedigree. With a much larger Saddleback High team threatening on the floor, the Breakers outran, out-hustled, and out-scrapped the larger team to a 39”“21 victory. Behind by two points after the first quarter, the Breakers went on a 17-point unanswered scoring binge in the second. Scoring for Laguna was spread evenly as Selevan was high scorer with 12 points, followed by Tyler Masukawa (nine points) and Jake Dalke (eight).

On Dec. 3, the Breakers kept the momentum going. Facing a tough Costa Mesa Mustang five could have been intimidating, but the young Laguna players were undaunted. As with the previous game, hustle and conditioning proved to be the difference in a 68-45 victory. Selevan showed what a year of experience as a starter can do as he sank in 23 points, including five three-pointers. Tyler Masukawa handled the ball brilliantly and consistently drove and passed to Selevan and Dalke (13 points). Levin scored five points. Connor Hyland contributed with an important fourth-quarter steal to help secure the win, and Steven Bell exhibited real grit after a tough foul by the Mustangs sent him to the free throw line.

Saturday’s final matchup between the Rancho Alamitos Vaqueros and the Breakers pitted two teams of different makeup. Rancho had a team much taller than Laguna, but Laguna’s defense dug in. Laguna’s 49-37 victory was a team effort. Selevan out hustled and out shot the competition with 21 points. Tyler Masukawa (five points) penetrated Rancho’s defense over and over allowing for outside shots by Levin (four points), Derek Reigel, Alex Masukawa (six points each), and Dalke’s important seven points to clinch the win and the consolation championship.

Laguna Beach is back in action at 7 tonight on the road at Dana Hills. The Breakers then travel to the Orange Optimist Classic tournament next week.

JAMES SELEVAN has been a supporter of the Laguna Beach School District and local youth sports at the NJB, Little League and high school levels.