TRYING TO SCORE: The North's Chad Miller (Foothill High) tries to slip a shot around the South's Kyle Caldwell (Newport Harbor High). STEVE K. ZYLIUS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
O.C. All-Star Games produce wild finishes, dazzling performances
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County's boys and girls all-stars put on a brilliant display.
HUNTINGTON BEACH Orange County's two best players saved their best all-star game effort for last – the last quarter.
Canyon's Jerime Anderson of the North scored 14 of his game-high 35 points and Santa Margarita's Klay Thompson of the South scored 9 of his 22 points in the final quarter as the North won, 124-105, in the large-school boys game of the Kiwanis/PlyoCity Orange County All-Star Games at Ocean View High.
Takeshi Clifford of Ocean View scored 32 points for the North, with six 3-pointers. He scored 11 in the fourth quarter.
Anderson, the county player of the year, also made six 3-pointers and had nine assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Thompson, state Division III player of the year, made three 3-pointers. Anderson and Thompson will face each other again later this year, in the Pac-10. Anderson signed with UCLA, and Thompson with Washington State.
Stefan Kaluz of Corona del Mar led the South with 26 points.
In the large-school girls game:
North 77, South 69: Tayiande Huskey of Tustin scored 15 points and P.J. Hanson of Magnolia added 14 for the North, which took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter and withstood a South run in the fourth that cut its lead to four.
Andrea Wertz of San Clemente led the South with 14 points. San Clemente's Kristin Riley, the 2007-08 Orange County girls player of the year, added 13.
Hanson, first-team All-County, said the North was a cohesive unit, even with only three practices together.
“We got along really well,” she said. “We got to know each other very quickly, and I think that helped in this game.”
Esperanza's Allison Burns left the game early in the second quarter because of a right-knee injury.
There were five MVP awards given in this game. They went to Kristin Riley and Andrea Wertz of San Clemente; Amanda Sims of Troy; Huskey; and Hanson.
In the small-schools boys game:
South 93, North 79: Josue Franco of Acaciawood scored 15 points and made three 3-pointers, Saddleback Valley Christian's Dave Dillard and Calvary Chapel's Ryan Steinhaus added 12 points apiece for the South. The South trailed by 10 points at the end of the first quarter.
Valley Christian of Cerritos' Jeff Rochon of the North led all scorers with 22 points. Jake Cokely of Whittier Christian added 14 points for the North.
The South outscored the North, 23-9, in the third quarter.
In the small-schools girls game:
North 59, South 54: Elissa Ronquin of Whittier Christian scored 15 points to lead the North, which trailed by two points going into the fourth quarter.
Natasha Herring of Maranatha of Pasdena added 12 points for the North, and Katie McKeon of Sage Hill scored eight.
Saddleback Valley Christian's Stephanie Noel scored 14 and Lauren Ciccomascolo of St. Margaret's had 12 points for the South.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
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