Preparation Pays Off, Calvary Chapel Wins

COSTA MESA — Third-seeded Calvary Chapel geared its entire season around Friday’s Southern Section Division IV-A semifinal game against perennial-power Los Angeles Verbum Dei, and the preparation paid off.

Calvary Chapel guards Kevin Falconer and Joe Ortiz led a 29-point first-quarter barrage and second-seeded Verbum Dei never recovered and fell, 86-64, at Estancia High.

Ortiz finished with 21 points and Falconer had 20 and five assists for Calvary Chapel, (25-4), which advanced to a section final for the first time. Calvary Chapel will face top-seeded Los Angeles Crossroads and highly touted point guard Baron Davis, next Friday at the Bren Center.

Verbum Dei ended 20-6 and failed to reach a section final for only the second time in the ‘90s.

“This is huge,” said Falconer, who made 11 of 11 free throws. “It’s what we’ve been waiting for all season. We wanted to jump out early and just get out and run.”

Falconer’s 30-footer at the first-quarter buzzer staked Calvary Chapel to a 29-18 first-quarter lead after his team made nine of 12 shots from the field and nine of 10 free throws.

“Poise was a big factor,” said Calvary Chapel Coach Craig Falconer, Kevin’s father. “I knew if we spread it out, made good decisions and held our own on the boards . . . “

Well, two out of three was good enough.

Calvary Chapel handled Verbum Dei’s man-to-man pressure defense well, committing only 11 turnovers, shot 57% from the field and made 31 of 43 free throws. It helped offset Verbum Dei’s 41-30 rebounding advantage.

Verbum Dei appeared ready to make a run when Calvary Chapel center Robert Cutler (11 points, six rebounds) picked up his fourth foul with 3 minutes 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter

“I was extremely concerned at that point,” Craig Falconer said. “We had to play with five guards.”

Although Verbum Dei went inside to score six points in the next 39 seconds to close within, 51-46, it never drew any closer.

Calvary Chapel sophomore Brett Young, who finished with a team-high eight rebounds, and teammate Garid Beeler, who had 15 points, sparked a 9-2 run to close the quarter and give Calvary Chapel a 13-point lead.