NEWPORT BEACH — The Tesoro boys basketball team has been winning with defense this week in the Corona del Mar Beach Bash tournament.
In the semifinals Friday night against Los Alamitos at Corona del Mar High School, the Titans relied on defense again, this time coming from behind for a 43-41 victory.
The Titans (11-1), who are ranked No. 5 in Division 2AA of the CIF Southern Section and No. 7 in Orange County, will have a chance to win their second tournament of the season when they take on JSerra in the Beach Bash championship at 8 p.m. Saturday at Corona del Mar.
The Lions defeated Edison 72-65 in the other semifinal Friday.
Tesoro got plenty of help from its bench after losing starters Jake Bennett and Mathew Hanley to injuries on the same play in the first quarter.
The Titans also regrouped after scoring only three points and being held without a field goal in the second quarter.
“I’m just glad our guys hung in there,” Tesoro coach Steve Garrett said. “It was looking pretty down the whole game.”
The Griffins (7-3), who are ranked No. 7 in Orange County, led 41-38 and looked to be in control when the shot clock ran out on the Titans with just under two minutes remaining in the game.
But the Titans stopped the Griffins on the ensuing possession and then got a basket on a short jumper by Carson Brown to make the score 41-40 with one minute, seven seconds left.
Tesoro’s Riley Konick then made a steal and passed ahead to Nathan Draper, who was fouled and made both free throws to give the Titans a 42-41 lead with under 40 seconds remaining.
“Every day, I hit 10 free throws before I leave practice,” Draper said. “I think that paid off in the end. I was mad that I missed one earlier, but I knew I’d make those last two.”
Los Alamitos missed the front end of a one-and-one and Tesoro’s Carter Johnson was fouled after grabbing the rebound.
Johnson made one of two free throws to give the Titans a two-point lead.
The Griffins’ Liam Gray was fouled with one second left, but Gray missed his first free throw and missed on purpose on his second free throw.But Brown got the rebound for Tesoro to end the game.
Brown led Tesoro with 22 points and Wesley Trevino scored 12 to lead Los Alamitos.
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Tesoro has held all three of its opponents in the tournament to 41 points.
The Titans defeated Calvary Chapel 67-41 in its first game and won 53-41 against San Clemente in the second.
“We were consistent with our defense,” Garrett said. That is what we hang our hat on and we were fortunate to get enough baskets down the stretch.”