PHOTOS: Crean Lutheran edges Portola on late 3-pointer at Beach Bash Tourney

Freshman guard Kaiden Bailey of Crean Lutheran drives past Portola’s Brandon Chang Friday afternoon. (Photos courtesy John Luciano and Howard Lyon, Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs).

It came down to the wire Friday afternoon between Crean Lutheran and Portola boys basketball teams.

Crean Lutheran was able to make the big play in the final minute and captured a 57-54 victory in a consolation game at the Beach Bash Tournament at Corona del Mar.

The Saints’ Kenneth Bailey sank a 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining which turned out to the game-winner. Portola called timeout twice in the final 17 seconds but both shots fell off as time expired.

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“It was a huge three, one of the things we were trying to do was be a little more patient,” said Crean Lutheran Coach Nate Klitzing. “We were rushing a little too much in the first half. We settled in at times down the strretch, which we needed to. We kind of ran a little clock and when you need a big play, you go to your playmakers and Kenneth hit a huge play for us and knocked it down and got us the lead.

“They were a great team, they battled, I have a lot of respect for them and their coach and their progam.”

Kaiden Bailey led Crean Lutheran with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists. His brother Kenneth Bailey had 15 points and three assists and Evan Yang and Patrick Miranda had eight points each.

Crean Lutheran held a 44-40 lead after three quarters then extended the margin to 47-40 on a 3-pointer by Kenneth Bailey.

However Portola (8-4) battled back to tie the score 54-54 late. The Bulldogs point guard Colin Huang fouled out late and Crean Lutheran held on. Huang led Portola with 17 points. Ryan Chu had 10 points and Devin Daniel nine points.

“I’m disappointed, I think we had a really good opportunity to beat a good team and a good program,” said Portola Coach Brian Smith. “They have a really good offensive team and a good program but we waited until I think the fourth quarter to start playing the way we’ve been getting guys to play.

“Kudos to them for knocking shots when they did but I think it was a missed opportunity for us and we have to learn from it. It would have been kind of a statement game for us because Portola hasn’t really beat lot of big-name programs. It would have been nice to beat a quality program like that.”

It was another learning experience for Crean Lutheran, which typically starts two freshmen.

“We’re young and we’re inexperinced but I love our guys because they are willing to be coached, they are working as hard as they can and they’re learning,” Klitzing said. “Sometimes we’re going to win some of these close ones and sometimes were going to lose and learn from those lessons. We kind of had both of those this season.”

Klitzing has been pleased with the effort of the Bailey brothers, along with Yang.

“Evan Yang is a kid who has been with us all four years, he played freshman ball, JV ball and now two years on varsity and he’s kind of the quintessentail team guys, whatever it takes to help us win and right now, he’s a glue for us, he’s just leaving it all on the floor.”

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

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