BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

Harlem Ambassadors come to Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa High School will likely have a tough time winning its basketball game on Monday — but this particular time, the school isn’t aiming for a victory on the court.

At 7 p.m. in the main gym, 2650 Fairview Road, the Costa Mesa Hot Shots, a team consisting of faculty and alumni, will take on the Harlem Ambassadors in an exhibition game to raise money for the school’s foundation. The foundation, now in its fifth year, pays for textbooks, field trips, classes and more.

The Ambassadors, like the more famous Harlem Globetrotters, combine comedy with athleticism — and unlike the Globetrotters, they’re co-ed, with a number of female stars. The team, which bills itself as “better than your grandfather’s basketball show,” participates in fundraisers across the United States.

Regardless of how well the Costa Mesa team does, the school hopes to benefit from the gate receipts. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door, and booster clubs plan to sell refreshments throughout the game.

High school gets state recognition

Corona del Mar High School became the 23rd school in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District to win a California Distinguished School Award on Monday, as State Supt. Jack O’Connell announced the latest recipients of the annual award.

A total of 171 schools in California won the distinguished award on Monday, including 76 middle schools and 95 high schools. The state Department of Education awards elementary and secondary schools in alternate years.

Corona del Mar High, which routinely outscores every other secondary school in the Newport-Mesa district on standardized tests, had won the award twice previously in 1988 and 1996. The state plans to honor it along with other winners at the Disneyland Hotel on May 18.