Laguna holds off Irvine

Mike Sciacca

Laguna Beach’s boys’ seventh-grade All-Net Division basketball

team collected its fifth victory in six outings this season by

holding off a tough Irvine squad, 39-37, in National Junior

Basketball league action at Concordia University.

Laguna held a 35-33 lead when Matt Innins hit a free throw to up

the advantage to three points.

An Irvine basket narrowed the lead to just one point, but Nick

Witte drove the left baseline, double-pumped and banked in a shot to

again put Laguna up three, 38-35.

Kevin Buck added another free throw before Irvine added a basket

at the buzzer to end the game.

Laguna trailed early, 7-3, but steadily pulled ahead and

maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the game.

They led, 20-16, at the half and used a pressing defense and

three, fastbreak lay-ups from Dalton Sype to increase their lead,,

33-21.

Irvine, however, gained some momentum when it hit a three-point

basket at the buzzer to end the third period of play, making it a

33-24 game.

Witte, Laguna’s regular point guard, filled in at post for absent

forward Clay Knapp. He responded with 12 points on a series of

spinning drives and inside moves.

He also finished with a game-high eight rebounds.

Sype finished with 11 points, which included a three-point basket.

Marcus Hairston hit a pair of three-point shots and had eight

points overall; Buck scored seven points; and Sype, Hairston, Dylan

Doumeng and Warren Murrel, who had four blocked shots, paced the

Laguna defense.

Laguna will play Capo Dana Sunday in a 5:15 p.m. tipoff at Laguna

Beach High.