Saints fight hard, slip past Breakers

Laguna lets lead get away in 56-47 loss.The Santa Ana Saints staged a big fourth-quarter rally Tuesday in its nonleague girls’ basketball game against visiting Laguna Beach, and it was enough to carry the host team to a 56-47 victory.

The Saints (2-3) held Laguna to just four points in the final quarter, where they outscored the Breakers, 18-4.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for Laguna, which slipped to 1-4.

Haley Eaves led Laguna in scoring with 12 points, followed by Brittany Clark with 10.

Laguna had opened its season with a 65-48 victory over host Century at the Century Tournament.

The Breakers trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter before coming back with a big second half.

Laguna’s Claire Bevacqua led all scorers with 30 points. Tess Grogan, who saw limited time due to foul trouble, contributed 12 points, and Emily LaRose, whom Breakers coach Nicholas Ilagan said gave a “great effort,” finished with 11 points.

“We also received great defensive efforts off the bench from Chelsea Hairston and Lisa Avila,” Ilagan said.

The win over Century was the only victory Laguna would record at the tournament: In ensuing games, the Breakers fell to Kennedy (58-50), Edison (68-50) and Pacific Coast League rival Northwood (85-48).

“We played all three games without various players due to injury and the flu,” Ilagan said. “It has been a rough start to the season, but we are learning more about ourselves and starting to come together as a team. I am glad that we are facing adversity early instead of later.

“In our loss to Edison, it was the best I have ever seen the girls play together. Unfortunately, five missed layups and poor free-throw shooting caused the loss. Claire Bevacqua averaged 26 points in three games, but Brittany Clark was named to the all-tournament team. We received great defensive efforts by Chelsea Hairston and Tess Grogan.”

In boys’ basketball, Laguna fell to Laguna Hills, 44-35, in the 13th-place game of the Taco Company Invitational.