Santa Ana survives Orange’s third quarter run to record key league victory

Nicholas Chavez brings the ball up for Santa Ana as Trimel King of Orange defends. (Photos: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Santa Ana High School’s boys basketball team recorded a much needed Orange Coast League victory Wednesday night against Orange.

The Saints, who had dropped their first three league games, defeated the Panthers 64-41 at Santa Ana for their third win in a row overall.

Senior center Emmanuel Lemus continued his outstanding play scoring 24 points to lead the Saints (12-5, 1-3). Alexis Neria had 15 points on five 3-pointers and Jack Rivera 11 points for Santa Ana.

The Saints ended any hopes Orange had of a comeback when they outscored the Panthers 25-10 in the fourth quarter.

“They’re a really good team, our guys just stepped up in the fourth quarter,” said Santa Ana Coach Zach Johnson. “We just had to grind one out and they have a guy (Chris Abraham) who can really go and we were just really fortunate he didn’t get going today.”

Orange (9-7, 1-3) was led by Trimel King, who scored 14 points. Abraham and Oscar Rios had 11 points each for the Panthers.

“Lack of toughness in spurts,” said Orange Coach Jordan Castenada. “They came out and hit us in the mouth from the jump. We kind of came out flat. Chris really never got going today. It happens.

“You don’t like to see the lack of intensity. But it happens, they made us pay. But they fought, that’s all I can ask for.”

Orange cut the lead to 35-27 with 3:08 left in the third quarter. Santa Ana held on to a 40-31 edge after three but Lemus and Nicholas Chavez, who had eight point in the final stanza, took control.

“Emmanuel has been coming through for us all year,” Johnson said. “There is a reason why he is our rock. He’s our big man in the middle.”

Johnson was also pleased with the effort of Neria, “who came up huge today. He had a really good game for us and Matthew Rojas did a heckuva job on their best guy. Chris Abraham is one of the better scorers in Orange County, he’s a really good player.”

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com