CdM just misses in overtime

The Corona del Mar High boys basketball team was outscored, 15-7,

in overtime as visiting Calvary Chapel claimed a 68-60 Pacific Coast

League upset victory Tuesday.

The loss dropped CdM to 11-14, 4-5 in league, but it remains a

game ahead of fourth-place Tesoro, which fell to last-place Laguna

Beach, 66-55, Tuesday.

CdM visits league-leading Northwood Thursday, while Tesoro is at

Calvary Chapel. Should CdM lose and Tesoro win, a third-place tie

would ensue, forcing a playoff Friday to determine the league’s third

guaranteed playoff qualifier.

Sage Hill falls, 53-45

* BOYS: Sage Hill School dropped a 53-45 Academy League boys

basketball decision Tuesday, but received some good news in its quest

for one of the league’s three guaranteed CIF Southern Section playoff

berths.

Fourth-place Brethren Christian, which entered the week one game

behind the Lightning, lost, 36-35, to Oxford Academy Tuesday.

Now, Sage Hill, which lost a third-place playoff game with

Brethren Christian a year ago, could earn its first CIF berth by

beating Oxford (2-7 in league) Thursday at Sage Hill. The Lightning

(9-13, 4-5 in league) was led by senior Michael Fitzhugh’s 17 points

and 14 rebounds Tuesday.

Kevin Joyce added 16 for Sage Hill, but the Lightning saw a

halftime tie vanish due to Whitney’s strong third quarter.

Mustangs win, 48-38

* GIRLS: Costa Mesa High’s Mustangs clinched no worse than a tie

for third place and guaranteed themselves a No. 3-seeding from the

Golden West League in the upcoming CIF Playoffs with a stirring

victory at Santa Ana.

Rhondi Naff, who scored 18 first-half points, led the way with 27

points as the Mustangs improved to 14-11, 6-5 in league.

The Mustangs jumped to a 21-4 first-quarter lead, but as the

fourth quarter started, the edge had dwindled to 36-34.

A 6-0 spurt, provided by Naff two free throws, a big lay-up by

Denise Landeros and a 10-foot jumper by Stacee Sanchez, gave the

Mustangs breathing room and they held the Saints off.

Sailors fall, 41-26

* GIRLS: Newport Harbor High’s defense could only keep visiting

Woodbridge close for so long before the inevitable. The Warriors used

a 16-3 edge in the third period to give themselves some room against

the Sailors and win, 41-26, in a Sea View League game Tuesday night.

Woodbridge (18-7, 8-2 in league) made 17 of 19 free throws to

Newport’s 3-of-12 clip and took advantage of 18 Harbor turnovers.

Victoria Swigart led the Sailors (13-13, 3-7) with nine points

while grabbing five rebounds. Athena Vasquez dished out four assists

and tallied five points with Jillianne Whitfield grabbing 10 boards

to go with three points. Lindsey Woller collected two points with

seven rebounds.

Sage Hill falls, 52-42

* GIRLS: Sage Hill School’s girls basketball team fell behind,

29-19, in the first half and could not recover, losing to Academy

League host Whitney, 52-42, Tuesday.

Sage Hill (12-6, 4-5 in league) went ahead, 13-9, after freshman

Debbie Yoder-Lee launched a shot beyond half-court to beat the

first-quarter buzzer. But Whitney (14-9, 8-1) outscored the Lightning, 20-6, in the second period.

Sophomore Katie Puishys led Sage Hill with 20 points, and she

grabbed 10 rebounds. Freshman Haywood Wright added 11 points, 13

rebounds and five blocked shots, while Sage Hill’s lone senior Carrie

Clark dished out eight assists.