Breakers struggle against stifling defense

With a target on their back and every team now clearly focused on trying to be the first to topple the Breakers, the other Laguna Beach team also prevailed, 36-26, to remain undefeated. The win sets up a big showdown Saturday, where the 8-0 Breakers will host the 7-0 San Clemente Tritons at 12:45 at the Thurston Middle School gym. The winner of the game will claim the regular-season title.

Boys’ Division 4

Laguna Beach 40, Laguna Hills 8: After back-to-back weeks of nail-biters, Laguna Beach breezed past an undermanned Laguna Hills team. Beginning with a balanced scoring attack, Laguna Beach broke the game open in the second period when Frankie Mead and Holden Geary went on scoring terrors. In all, Geary finished with 23 points and Mead chipped in 10 points. With one game remaining in the regular season, this Laguna Beach team looks poised to finish undefeated entering its postseason tournament in two weeks.

Girls’ Division 2

Laguna Beach Team Two 40, South Coast Team Two 10: The Breakers were led early in scoring by Alexandra Lewis and Lauren McDonnell, with six points each in the first period. Sydney DeCarlo scored and rebounded steadily throughout the game, finishing with six points and several rebounds.

Laguna’s inside presence was too much for the visiting South Coast team, which couldn’t contend inside with the likes of Lewis, DeCarlo, Katie McCombs and Francesca Cecutt.

Nicole Davidson’s stellar play in the fifth period put the game completely out of reach, as Davidson scored on five consecutive possessions and finished with a game-high 14 points.

Capo/Dana 22, Laguna Beach Team One 9: Laguna Beach Team 1 hung close for a second straight week with yet another undefeated Capo/Dana team for the first half and trailed only 10-5.

The Breakers were without both of their inside presence players in Charlotte Duran and Gracie Snedegar, who was coming off a stellar performance last week against the other Capo/Dana team. Taylor Cunningham paced the Breakers with five points.

All-Net Division Boys’ Fifth Grade

Irvine 32, Laguna Beach 31: The boys’ fifth-grade team led through most of its afternoon game against an Irvine team that earlier in the season had handily defeated Laguna Beach. This time, the outcome was different.

With four minutes remaining in the game, Irvine finally surged ahead. Laguna tied the game late on a three-point shot with 10 seconds left.

With the game seemingly headed to overtime, the Breakers were whistled for a foul with two seconds remaining and Irvine hit one of two free-throw attempts to secure a 32-31 win that was a heartbreaking loss for the young Breakers.

— Mark Lewis, Community Correspondent