PHOTOS: Cooper Stearns teammates step up big in Irvine’s CIF playoff win over Pasadena

Cooper Stearns of Irvine goes up for a shot during Friday’s CIF playoff game with Pasadena. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).

Irvine High School’s boys basketball team has one dominating star player, senior forward Cooper Stearns, but the Vaqueros proved Friday night they are not one dimensional.

Did they ever.

Stearns did his usual share all right, scoring 22 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing off 11 assists in Irvine’s 66-57 victory over Pasadena in the second round of the CIF Division 2A playoffs in front of a big crowd at Irvine.

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But he had plenty of help as the Vaqueros won their 21st consecutive game and advanced into Tuesday’s quarterfinals at Long Beach Cabrillo. It’s the first time Irvine has been in the CIF playoffs since 1991. The Vaqueros lost in the second round of the CIF playoffs last season, also on a Friday night at home.

Junior guard Jalen Yim had 21 points and made four 3-pointers and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, Holden Stearns (Cooper’s younger brother) had 11 points and Ali Dal added 10 points to lead a balanced Irvine attack.

Irvine (28-2) jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the opening minutes and led 29-22 at halftime. Irvine went on a 10-2 run to start the third quarter and was in control the rest of the way.

“The plan going in was to help our guards really help each other and play some really fierce defense,” said Irvine Coach Harry Meussner. “Nothing different too much from our typical scheme defensively but we knew because they had a big (Pasadena’s 6-10 center Josh Irving) it was going to occupy a lot of Cooper’s attention or Evan (Terakawa) if he got in the game.

“So we told the guards in practice you only have each other to rely on and I think they did a great job of being there for each other so collectively the four guards playing so well allowed all five to play really well as a team.”

Irvine led 57-31 after three quarters. Pasadena (17-8) cut the lead to 10 points with under two minutes left but Yim and Stearns had some big points down the stretch to seal the win.

Desmond Every led Pasadena with 21 points. I’Ke Mitchell added 12 points for the Bulldogs.

In the end, Irvine’s balanced scoring and excellent pressure defense turned out to be the difference.

“A big thing in this game was spacing the floor and we knew the big was going to be a threat down low and my goal was to try and go get my points when they were available,” said Cooper Stearns, who had eight points in the first half. “I told my guys, ‘be ready to shoot, be ready to score because your time is coming today.’ My teammates were fantastic today, Jalen, Taewon (Kim), Holden and Ali, they were cutting so well; Holden especially in the zone was great.

“Jalen had a hot hand today, he could not miss. I’m just more proud of the guys for winning, last year in round two we fell short because we didn’t make a single three-pointer, at home on a Friday …. the win is the most important past and I’m just so proud of my guys because they allow me to fill up the stat sheet because they boxed out well, they shot the ball well and they opened spaces.”

Yim had starred in previous games, according to his coach, but he had one of his best in the biggest game of the year Friday night.

“I think it was a great team victory,” Yim said. “We came in knowing they were probably under-estimating us, that they were probably doubting our skills, but I think as a team we proved we can compete with anyone and we can compete with the best.”

As for his big-time performance on offense:

“I didn’t expect it, but all I knew was that my teammates trusted me and if my teammates trust me, I know wholeheartedly I can do the best I can do.”

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