Breakers Can't Contend on Boards, Eliminated From Playoffs

The Outcome... Whittier Christian 55, Laguna Beach 54

Laguna Beach let a 16-point lead slip away in the second half and allowed visiting Whittier Christian to creep back into Friday night’s CIF Southern Section Division 4A contest. The Heralds (22-7) charged back to tie the score in regulation before bouncing the Breakers (17-10) from title contention in overtime.

The Turning Point... Breakers Cool Off from Beyond the Arc

Laguna Beach thrived on its long-distance shooting capabilities on the way to a fifth consecutive Orange Coast League championship. After beginning Friday’s game one-of-six from three-point range, the Breakers caught fire.

Led by junior Brandon Lewis’ five three-pointers off the bench, the Breakers buried seven of their next 10 attempts, enabling them to push their lead to 35-19 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Then, suddenly, Laguna Beach fell back to earth. The Breakers missed five consecutive three-point attempts as Whittier whittled away at the large deficit.

“I don’t think we’ve shot three-pointers better than we did tonight,” junior Jack Pillsbury said. “Our mindset is to look for open three-point shots and it worked during a lot of the game. But then we went cold and couldn’t hit one while [Whittier] started putting points on the board.”

‘Live by the three, die by the three’ is an adage in basketball and it certainly rang true in this game. Without the three-point shot in its arsenal, Laguna Beach simply wasn’t the same team.

The Difference... Whittier Controlled the Paint When It Mattered Most

The battle for boards held steady through three quarters, with each team entering the final period with 17 rebounds. But from that point on, the Heralds dominated inside.

Whittier Christianout-rebounded Laguna Beach 14-3 in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. The Heralds corralled an astounding eight offensive boards over the 12-minute stretch.

“Second and third opportunities on offense will win you ball games,” Whittier Christian coach Sherwin Durham said. “It took us a while to grab those rebounds, but we got it going late and I loved it.”

The Breakers keyed on Whittier Christian guard Miller Brown throughout the game, greeting Orange County’s sixth-leading scorer with a double-team on nearly every trip down the court. Coach Bret Fleming’s defensive strategy worked when it came to Brown, limiting the 6-foot-4 senior to 14 points on 6-of-20 shooting.

However, the Herald’s offensive attack adapted as the game advanced. Whittier Christian power forward Chris Joseph took advantage of an open interior and emerged as a difference-maker.

Joseph grabbed 15 rebounds and scored 17 points, all but two coming in the second half. His efforts fueled the Heralds' improbable comeback.

“Sometimes we ended up out of position because we were trying to focus on Brown,” Pillsbury said. “When we lost our vision down low, they took advantage and hurt us.”

It was Over When... Chris Torres Capped off an Impressive Night at the Charity Stripe

Whittier Christian missed its first two free throw attempts of the evening, but that would be the height of the team’s struggles at the charity stripe. The Heralds sank 14 of 17 free throws the rest of the way and none was bigger than Torres’ conversion.

The senior guard found himself at the line with two seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied at 54. After his first shot clanked off the rim, Torres collected himself and swished the second to push his squad past Laguna Beach.

The Aftermath... Laguna Beach Looks Toward Next Season, Heralds Head to Quarterfinals

Whittier Christian will face the top-ranked team in the division on Tuesday, when it heads to Oaks Christian (21-7) for a quarterfinal clash. The Heralds have certainly gathered some momentum from Friday’s thrilling victory.

“We showed a lot of heart in the second half and we were determined to play another week of basketball,” Durham said. “These guys have been down before in games this season and they dug deep tonight to bring us back. This is a good springboard that we hope to use Tuesday night.”

Laguna Beach can rest its laurels on the fact that it returns four of five starters next season. Pillsbury, who will be back as at guard, asserts the Breakers goals for 2012 extend beyond a sixth straight league title.

“Our coach told us that this was probably one of the best games we played all year, and I think everyone in that locker room would agree,” Pillsbury said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold on for the victory. We’ll work hard this off-season and make a run next season. Next time, we want win the whole thing.”

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