Girls Hoops: CdM loses in Hoop-la tourney, again

SAN CLEMENTE - With two of its best players out with injuries --

Kristen McCoy nursing a bad back and Jackie McCoy down with a bum ankle

-- the Corona del Mar basketball team lost again in the San Clemente

Holiday Hoop-la Tournament Saturday.

The Sea Kings (3-4) continued their trend of slow starts, scoring four

points in the first quarter as Murietta Valley grabbed a 59-41 win.

“We have a history of starting out slow and tonight wasn’t any

different,” CdM Coach Elbert Davis said. “I like the way we come back

against teams, but it’s getting me gray hairs over here. I’m really tired

of these moral victories. But, that’s expected from a young team.”

Junior Courtney Kawata and sophomore Kelly Luu led the Sea Kings with

nine points each, while Andrea Gruber finished with seven.

“(The loss of the McCoys) was hurting us at times to score points,”

Davis said. “Hopefully, that allowed us to step and play better and that

should help later on down the road.”

Davis said, the McCoy sisters “took a beating” in a 64-40 loss to Troy

on Dec. 7 and they have not recovered. He expects them to return this

week after the San Clemente Tournament.

CdM will most likely be without the McCoys as the Sea Kings take on

Irvine in the third round of pool play Tuesday night.

CdM was also without Madison Otterbien, who was excused by Davis to

attend to another obligation.

SAN CLEMENTE HOLIDAY HOOP-LA TOURNAMENT

Second Round of Pool play

Murietta Valley 59, Corona del Mar 41

Murietta Valley 14 10 18 17 - 59

Corona del Mar 4 15 8 14 - 41

Murietta Valley - Haggerty 18, Knudson 9, Woodard 9, Stranick 6,

Esparza 2, Payton 2, Carpenter 2, Ross 2, Ludt 1, Hauser 1, Hauser 1.

3-pt. goals - Haggerty 1, Knudson 1.

Fouled out - Payton.

Technicals - None.

Corona del Mar - Luu 9, Kawata 9, Gruber 7, Snell 5, Meservey 4, Pham

2, Marks 2, Hawkins 2, Klien 0, Alateha 0.

3-pt. goals - Kawata 3, Gruber 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.