WHITTIER — For the second time in four years, La Serna is headed to the CIF-Southern Section quarterfinals, with a 60-48 win over visiting Corona del Mar Friday in a Division 3AA game.

Strong defense throughout the game led to many turnovers by the Sea Kings (17-12), as the Lancers took advantage and went on multiple small scoring runs.

With the win, the third-seed Lancers improved to 25-5 and will travel to Hillcrest of Riverside, a 70-60 winner over Northwood, for a quarterfinal game on Tuesday.

Leading the way for the Lancers was junior guard Gabriel Lewis with a game-high 18 points.

“We feel like we can do anything, honestly,” Lewis said. “We believe we can make it.

With a team full of seniors, I’m trying to find my role and

All of those turnovers helped us in the end.”

Two other Lancers scored in double figures, senior guards Xavier Ortiz (13 points) and Daniel Angulo (11 points). Seniors Zach Leija and Marco Montano added eight and seven points, respectively. As a team, the Lancers sank six long-range baskets.

The opening quarter was virtually even throughout, with the teams tied 11-11 after one.

Ortiz gave the Lancers a big boost early in the second quarter with two consecutive 3-pointers to give La Serna a 19-14 lead. However, at the end of the quarter, Corona del Mar went on a 6-0 run on two short jump shots by Harlan and a layup by Kaleb Annett, to trail, 25-22 at the half.

“This is really big for us,” Ortiz said. “We don’t really have that much height, but we try to play with as much heart as we have.”

The Sea Kings were led by senior guard Ilan Agranovich with 14 points (2 3-pointers), while sophomore forward Jackson Harlan and Kaleb Annett had 10 and seven points, respectively.

“The journey has been great,” La Serna Boys Basketball coach Marino Angulo said. “Every year we have three goals – to win league and we do that, and the other is to win at least one tournament and we won two and our third goal is to go further than we’ve ever gone in the playoffs and that’s the only goal that we still have not attained yet. I think we have a shot at it.”

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The third quarter was the difference maker for the Lancers, as they outscored CDM, 19-10, as both Lewis and Angulo scored two baskets and a 3-pointer to hold a 12-point, 44-32 lead heading into the final quarter.

“It feels amazing right now,” said Daniel Angulo, of advancing to the quarterfinals. “It’s absolutely surreal, because when I was little, I would watch them on the sidelines, and they lost. This time I want to make it a win for us.”

The Lancers opened up the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run, to lead 53-34 with less than three minutes left in the game, which was highlighted by seven points from Lewis and Ortiz.