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Del Mar falls in CCS finale
But loss can't tarnish bright year for Dons
By Dick Sparrer
There weren't many victories for the Del Mar basketball team last winter.
The Dons won just a half-dozen games in 25 tries in the 1998-99 campaign. So to expect them to contend for a league championship this season, with a brand-new head coach at the helm, was asking a lot.
Oh yeah? Well then, how about competing for the Central Coast Section championship?
Because that's just what the Dons did. Not only did they win a share of the championship in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, but the Dons also played their way into the CCS Division III championship game last weekend.
Del Mar lost 51-43 to Mitty in the CCS final last Saturday, but it did little to tarnish an outstanding 1999-2000 season under first-year head coach Brad Quinet.
The Dons will now take a 24-7 season record into the Northern California tournament that begins March 7. The Dons will open on the road against an opponent not yet determined at presstime.
Del Mar whipped Sacred Heart Cathedral 63-54 to win a place in the CCS finals against Mitty. But the Dons lost the 8-point decision to the Monarchs to settle for a CCS second.
Jason Campbell, Kyle Kelly and Steve Belton pitched in nine points each, but it wasn't enough to lead the Dons to victory against Mitty.
Ryan Lagod added six points for Del Mar, Steve White hit five, Rodney Gattis had three and Jeremy Beene added two. Kelly, Lagod and Gattis each hit three-pointers.
The Dons were down 5-1 after a low-scoring first quarter and trailed 21-14 at intermission. Del Mar fought back to outscore Mitty 18-12 in the third period to cut the lead to 33-32, but the Monarchs topped the Dons 18-11 in the fourth to clinch the win.
Del Mar had whipped Sacred Heart Cathedral 63-54 earlier in the week to advance to the final.
White led the Dons with 27 points, hitting nine free throws to go with nine field goals. Lagod joined him in double digits with 11 points.
Campbell hit a pair of threes and added three points at the line to wind up with nine points, Kelly hit eight, Gattis six and Belton two. Gattis had a three-pointer.
Del Mar had to fight back from a 25-21 halftime deficit to pull out the win over the Irish. The Dons topped Sacred Heart 20-11 in the third period and 22-18 in the fourth to clinch the important win.
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Campbell, California
