Laguna Beach downs Capo Dana

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

team assumed sole possession of second place in the White South

Division standings earlier this week after a 63-49 victory over Capo

Dana in National Junior Basketball played at Laguna Beach High.

Laguna, now 6-1 overall, set a quick pace from the opening tip and

raced out to leads of 17-6 and 32-17 in a game that saw the host team

have its full roster in uniform for the first time this season.

Capo Dana, which also came into the game with just one loss, began

to find the basket in the third period and cut the deficit to 47-38

and then pulled to within 54-49 with just over two minutes remaining

in the game.

Laguna nipped the late rally by scoring the game’s final nine

points, including four consecutive free throws by Kevin Buck and a

layup by Alex Vasquez.

Nick Witte led Laguna with a team season-high 21 points, 13 of

those coming in the second half.

Several of his baskets were set up by the sharp passing of Buck

and Marcus Hairston.

Buck contributed 16 points and six assists, Dalton Sype scored

seven points, Hairston scored six, Clay Knapp and Warren Murrel each

scored four points, and Vasquez’s layup closed out Laguna’s scoring.

Sype, Hairston and Dylan Doumeng led a ball-hawking Laguna defense

and Murrel and Matt Innins controlled the boards.

Laguna goes for victory No. 7 on Sunday when it hosts Cypress in a

12:15 p.m. tipoff at Laguna Beach High.