Sea Kings score big win

CORONA DEL MAR — Max Stone is the kind of basketball player who can come off the bench and drain a three-pointer on his first shot.

That is exactly what the junior did Tuesday, as he opened the second quarter for Corona del Mar High with a three. Coach Ryan Schachter calls Stone his best outside threat, so he expects Stone to shoot whenever he is open.

Stone passed up quality looks in the second, third and fourth quarters, only to frustrate his coach. Schachter needed someone to stop Woodbridge's fourth-quarter run, which gave the visitors their first lead since the opening quarter.

Stone no longer had the option of bypassing scoring chances. The Warriors went ahead by five with less than two minutes left to play.

The Sea Kings went to Stone. They kicked the ball out to him on the wing for a three-pointer and then swung it his way in the corner for another three.

In a 39-second span, Stone gave CdM a one-point lead by draining back-to-back three-pointers. Woodbridge never scored again and the Sea Kings won, 60-56, and kept their hopes of defending the Pacific Coast League title alive.

"That's the guy we want shooting from the outside," Schachter said of Stone, who finished with 10 points, most of the total coming on three three-pointers.

The Sea Kings handed the Warriors their first league setback and CdM is now one game behind first-place Woodbridge. Three league contests remain and CdM (13-9, 5-2 in league) has to win out and hope Woodbridge (16-7, 6-1) drops another league game for a chance to share the league crown with the Warriors.

Schachter doesn't see Woodbridge, ranked 10th in the CIF Southern Section Division 3AAA poll, losing again in league.

"They're so mentally tough," Schachter said of the Warriors, who rallied again in the fourth quarter against CdM, only to fall short the second time. "I thought we were going to give away another one [to the Warriors]. They don't go away."

The fourth quarter hasn't been kind this season to CdM, ranked fifth in Division 3A. Credit the Sea Kings for coming back late to pick up their fourth straight league victory.

Woodbridge trailed CdM by as many as 14 points twice, the first time in the second quarter and the second time in the third quarter.

The last time, the Warriors stormed back. They outscored CdM, 15-6, in the third quarter. Schachter ate into his team before the start of the final quarter.