Crespi vs. Corona del Mar: Standout Performers

CORONA DEL MAR — The CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs tipped off last week and features matchup of the Section's 12 best teams. On Friday we were in attendance at Corona del Mar high school for a battle between the 8th seeded Sea Kings and 9th seeded Crespi. The Celts used their size and physical advantages to score efficiently in the paint and defended CdM's high powered five-out offense well enough to come away with an 82-70 win. Below we break down the top performers.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Scorer(s): [player_tooltip player_id='2194692' first='Isaiah' last='Barnes'], Crespi | [player_tooltip player_id='2436275' first='Maxwell' last='Scott'], Corona del Mar</h4>   On Barnes: The 6-foot-2 junior got Crespi out to a hot start as he scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the first eight minutes while connecting on five of his first six attempts from the field. Barnes knocked down a couple of perimeter jumpers but made his biggest impact as a driver and finisher around the basket as his physicality and ability to initiate and shed contact allowed him to get paint touches with relative ease. Barnes also connected on all eight of his free throw attempts.   On Scott: The 6-foot-3 shooting guard put on an incredible scoring performance that ended in him scoring 35 points on 12-for-23 from the field with four three-pointers in the loss. What made the effort so impressive was the fact that he didn't have a point in the first quarter and spent the last five-plus minutes of the third on the bench with four fouls. Scott is one of the premier catch-and-shoot threats in the region and he has added some off-bounce finishing ability to his arsenal.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Off The Bench: [player_tooltip player_id='2435388' first='Jasiah' last='Williams'], Crespi | Nolan Scott, Corona del Mar</h4>   On Williams: Williams had been a starter since becoming eligible the day after Christmas but was used off the bench in this game after he missed the Sierra Canyon game due to injury. Whether a starter or sixth-man, Williams always seems to produce on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-4 wing's combination of size and athleticism was too much for Corona del Mar to handle as Williams got into the lane and to the basket as he pleased which resulted in high percentage finishes or trips to the foul line. The junior finished with 23 points, including 8-for-10 from the free throw line.   On Scott: The sophomore is one of the Sea Kings' more physical players and, despite being 6-foot-3, plays the de-facto "big man" spot for the guard-oriented CdM squad. Scott competed defensively and on the glass as he often found himself matched up with bigger players but he didn't allow the size differential to get in the way of his willingness to do the dirty work. Scott was impactful on the offensive and defensive boards and operated as a connector on the offensive end.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Passer(s): [player_tooltip player_id='2435364' first='Nickon' last='Daei'], Crespi | [player_tooltip player_id='2364528' first='Luke' last='Mirhashemi'], Corona del Mar</h4>   On Daei: The junior is a steady ball-handler and decision-maker who has allowed himself to put scoring as a secondary option to him setting up his teammates. Daei's vision and willingness to advance the ball up the floor in transition, make the simple drive and kick pass and turn down an OK shot to move the ball one more for a good shot allows the Crespi offense to thrive. Daei finished with four assists in the win.   On Mirhashemi: The 6-foot-4 senior orchestrate's CdM's quick-hitting offense with his high basketball IQ, court vision in transition and half-court situations and true pass-first mentality and approach to the point guard position. Mirhashemi has quick processing ability which allows him to deliver on-time and on-target passes to three-point shooters and cutters all while maintaining a fast a free-flowing pace. He handed out seven assists in the loss.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Supporting Performance(s): [player_tooltip player_id='1956505' first='Malakai' last='Perrantes'], Crespi | [player_tooltip player_id='2349465' first='Oliver' last='Nakra'], Corona del Mar</h4>   On Perrantes: The 6-foot-1 point guard has bounced-back well from injury and looks to be fully healthy at the perfect time. Perrantes has the ability to impact the game as a ball handler, creator and passer but can also get to the rim and create his own offense. The senior scored 13 points in the win.   On Nakra: The 6-foot-1 shooting guard is one of the best catch-and-shoot threats in Orange County and his ability to get his shot off quickly and with deep range make him a deadly perimeter shooting threat. Nakra helped keep the Sea Kings within striking distance with his 15 points and three three-point field goals.

CORONA DEL MAR — The CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs tipped off last week and features matchup of the Section's 12 best teams. On Friday we were in attendance at Corona del Mar high school for a battle between the 8th seeded Sea Kings and 9th seeded Crespi. The Celts used their size and physical advantages to score efficiently in the paint and defended CdM's high powered five-out offense well enough to come away with an 82-70 win. Below we break down the top performers.