Bradley Paces Sea Kings to 64-40 Victory Over Santa Margarita

The Outcome... Corona del Mar 64, Santa Margarita 40

 The Pacific Coast League co-champions put on a show in front of their home crowd throughout a throttling of visiting Santa Margarita on Wednesday night. The Sea Kings surged to a 45-11 lead early in the second half of the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA playoff matchup and were never in danger of suffering a first-round knockout.

The Turning Point... Sea Kings Take Control With 37-6 Onslaught

Corona del Mar (18-9) led 8-5 late in the first quarter when forward Marcus Bradley blocked an Eagles’ shot attempt. The rejection sent the Sea Kings sprinting down the floor on a fast break, ending with a dunk by senior guard Danny Cheek.

The exciting play sparked a startling 37-6 Corona del Mar run, which left Santa Margarita (13-14) wondering what went so terribly wrong. After dropping its final two league games and sole possession of the Pacific Coast title, a burst of confidence proved to be exactly what the Sea Kings needed.

“To be honest, I could care less whether we’re league champs,” said Corona del Mar coach Ryan Schachter said. “Look around this gym and you won’t see any league championship banners. That’s all nice, but our goal is to win a CIF title; that’s what we play for.”

The Difference... Corona del Mar’s Marcus Bradley Couldn’t be Contained

The Sea Kings’ regular-season scoring leader continued to shoulder the load on Wednesday night, accounting for 21 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Bradley buried 10 of his 14 shot attempts, which included four dunks. 

“I just have to play aggressive and take everything to the basket,” Bradley said. “It’s a whole new level come playoffs.”

The 6-foot-5 senior transferred from Beaumont during the off-season and gave many local basketball pundits the impression that an already strong Corona del Mar could perhaps make a run at its first Southern Section title since 2007. Bradley’s performance helped punch his ticket to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his high school career and lends credence to his heralded arrival in Newport Beach.

It was Over When.... Santa Margarita Surrendered Control of the Paint

The Eagles were doomed when Corona del Mar began to set up shop underneath the glass. Santa Margarita had trouble manufacturing much inside and only starting center Colin Krenzer (12 points, six rebounds) managed to find success in the paint.

All-Trinity League point guard Ryan Robles struggled to drive past the Sea Kings' interior defense and routinely settled for contested jump shots. Robles wound up with 15 points, but nine of those came from three-point distance after the game’s outcome was already decided.

Junior Andrew McCormick came off Corona del Mar’s bench to provide a major impact on the boards. The 6-3 junior corralled a game-high seven rebounds, including five on the offensive end that led to second-chance points.

“I know exactly what my job is on this team,” McCormack said. “I’m supposed to play tough defense and go up for rebounds. I came off the bench to do what I had to do for us to take care of business.”

McCormick may have scored only two points, but his workmanlike approach is valuable beyond the stat sheet, according to Schachter.

“Andrew was awesome and he gives us so much,” Schachter said. “He gets offensive rebounds, plays defense and doesn’t shoot; the best team player you can imagine.”

The Aftermath... Corona del Mar Awaits its Next Guest

The Sea Kings, ranked sixth in the final Division 3AA coaches' poll, can make themselves comfortable at home, as they play host to No. 13 Kennedy (21-6) in a Friday night second-round showdown. The Fighting Irish of La Palma knocked off cross-town rival Magnolia, 57-52, on Wednesday.

Corona del Mar must maintain its consistent play if it aims to advance beyond its Empire League opponent and into the division’s quarterfinals.

 "We have a lot of good players, so they all want to do it themselves sometimes,” Schachter said. “Tonight they followed the game plan and it was great to see."

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