Laguna earns second place

Laguna Beach’s eighth-grade National Junior Basketball All-Net

boys’ basketball team placed second last weekend at the St. Anne’s

Christmas Classic basketball tournament in Laguna Beach.

The tournament, played at St. Anne’s School, featured several of

the top NJB and private schools teams from throughout Orange County.

In the final, the host team, St. Anne’s, defeated Laguna’s NJB

squad, 42-32.

The final was played between two highly successful teams.

St. Anne’s entered the championship game as the two-time defending

champion of the Orange County Parochial Athletic League Diocesan

Basketball -- large schools. Laguna brought to the game a 14-game

winning streak and had not lost a game in the past six months.

The game lived up to its billing.

Laguna, riding the inside play of Bobby Monroe and a patient

offense, took a 19-15 lead into the halftime break.

But St. Anne’s forced several turnovers to begin the third quarter

and gained the lead, 31-27, heading into the fourth quarter.

St. Anne’s was up by five points with four minutes to play when it

deployed stalling tactics and hit its free throws down the stretch to

secure the title.

Monroe led Laguna with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Ian Butters hit

a pair of three-point baskets for six points. Chris Hyden scored four

points with five assists.

Nathan Picket scored four points, Brian Delino scored three, and

Patrick Curran added a basket to complete the Laguna scoring.

Laguna opened the tournament with a 52-34 rout over Niguel Aliso.

They led 13-5 after one quarter and 26-15 at the half. Their lead hit

25 points in the fourth period.

Monroe again led the way, this time with 18 points and seven

rebounds. Butters had 10 points with five assists.

Patrick Curran matched six points with six rebounds. Pickett and

Delino each scored six points. Hyden had a basket and four rebounds.

Ty Fleming scored four points. Brennan Healy grabbed three rebounds.

Laguna advanced to the second round. They notched tournament win

No. 2 by outlasting Sts. Simon and Jude of Huntington Beach, 41-38.

Laguna trailed, 18-11, after the first quarter, but rallied back

to forge a 29-29 halftime tie.

The game was still tight down the stretch, but Fleming sank four

consecutive free throws in the final minute to give Laguna the

hard-fought victory.

Fleming finished with six points overall.

Monroe had 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Hyden had

eight points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Butters had

six assists and a three-point basket. Picket and Delino once again

had six points each, and Curran grabbed six rebounds.

Laguna will return to the court on Jan. 5, to take on the

undefeated Villa Park Wildcats in a 12:15 p.m. tipoff at Laguna Beach

High.