O.C. All-Stars don't hold back

South coach Tom Desiano of Dana Hills spent the final minutes of the Kiwanis/PlyoCity Orange County Senior Boys All-Star basketball game pacing back and forth in front of his team's bench as players took charges and scrambled for loose balls.

La Habra's Jordan Sachs of the North squad took an elbow above his eye in the final seconds of the game and was heading to the hospital for stitches.

Yes, it was an all-star game, which the North won, 102-100, Saturday at Mission Viejo High. The North led most of the contest and survived an onslaught by the South in the final minutes.

"Turn them loose … that is what we did," said North coach Ken Frank of Garden Grove High.

Sonora's Chris Bearden led the North with 24 points and Sachs added 20.

"This is nothing," Sachs said of the gash above his right eye. "I'm just glad I got to play my last high school game with this bunch of guys."

In other all-star games:

Big Schools Senior Girls

South 78, North 63: Foothill's Christina Marinacci made the best of her last high school basketball game. The USC-bound senior led all players with 15 points to key the South's victory. The South had the contest put away by halftime with a 38-20 lead.

Marinacci, Orange County Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American, said her best high school basketball memory was being part of Foothill's CIF-SS Division III-A title this past season.

"It was a good run," Marinacci said. "Blair (Shinoda) and I have been playing together since second grade. I couldn't have asked for a better high school experience with her."

Foothill's Shinoda was also a member of the South. She says winning CIF was her greatest high school moment.

Chrystal Guarin of Troy and Latrice Henderson of Magnolia scored nine each to lead the North. Henderson scored all her points in the first half before leaving so she could attend her prom.

Elite Underclassmen Boys

South 97, North 85: Mission Viejo's Ben Hayes scored a game high 29 in his home gym to lead the South.

Dylan Garrity of Edison contributed 16 and Marina's Brendon Holmes hit four three-pointers and finished with 13.

Orange Lutheran teammates James Douglas and Gabriel York scored 18 each to lead the North

The North was ahead, 76-72, after the third quarter before extending its lead to 11 in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Small Schools,

Senior Boys

South 71, North 54: Jeff Jefferson of Brethren Christian and Travis Ricker of Calvary Chapel each scored 14 points to lead the South . Whittier Christian's Luke Essinger and Pranav Tadi of Whitney scored 12 each for the North.

Big Schools, Elite

Underclassmen Girls

South 68, North 59: San Clemente's Cassie Harberts scored a game-high 18 points to lead the South to the victory. Kelsey Harris scored 16, including four three-pointers and her Brea Olinda teammate, Jenae Olekumi, scored 14 to lead the North.

Contact the writer: lponsi@ocregister.com