LAGUNA BEACH – In a battle of the Orange Coast League’s top two teams, Laguna Beach tried all they could to deny Brandon Smith any space. It put the Breakers in foul trouble, but kept the senior 6-foot-5 forward limited in the first half.
But Smith showcased his versatility, got teammates involved and found room in the second half, helping to put the Grizzlies in unfamiliar territory with a 63-54 victory on Wednesday.
Godinez is now in the driver’s seat in the Orange Coast League with a 5-0 record and two-game advantage over Laguna Beach. The Breakers have won the previous eight league titles.
“You could tell the guys were a little more pumped up, but we knew that if we played well and played together, we would win the game,” Smith said.
While Smith was heavily pressured, Danny Flores got the Grizzlies going with eight first-quarter points, but it was Abran Hernandez’s five points early in the fourth quarter that helped Godinez claim the lead for good with 6:39 remaining.
Smith’s presence was felt in a back-and-forth third quarter, as he scored 11 of his 35 points to keep up with Laguna Beach’s hot shooting. He also secured 14 rebounds.
“He’s one of the most versatile kids in the county. … He can affect the game in a lot of ways,” Grizzlies coach Gregory Coombs said. “He’s doing this with people double-teaming him most of the time, but we had some other kids step up and hit shots when we needed them to tonight.”
The Grizzlies’ trap defense left Laguna Beach (11-12, 3-2) open around the perimeter, which led to nine 3-pointers, most of them to tie the score or regain the lead.
“They were shooting the ball really well, so we went to man-to-man,” Coombs said. “I think better rebounding and forcing them to shoot more contested shots was the difference. Against our trap they were making open looks.”
Blake Burzell hit five 3-pointers and led the Breakers with 20 points. Isaac Wulff paced Laguna Beach early and finished with 14.
Both hit long-distance shots to create an early 14-7 lead, but it was quickly erased by Godinez (18-4 overall), which went on a 7-2 run to close out the first quarter.
Neither team gained more than a three-point advantage until midway through the fourth quarter, when Smith’s offensive rebounding came into play.
“I thought we struggled with poise a little bit and that’s part of being young,” Breakers coach Bret Fleming said. “(Smith) is really good. I thought our game plan was right, whether you can execute it or not is another thing.”
Godinez will host Saddleback on Friday, while the Breakers will be host to Costa Mesa.
Contact the writer: npercy@ocregister.com
