The best big man in Orange County not named Wear is 6-foot-8 Chris Manresa of Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro.
Manresa scored 14 points and contributed 10 rebounds and six blocks Wednesday night to help No. 21-ranked Tesoro hold off Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, 55-53, in a South Coast League game.
Tesoro (15-3, 2-0) missed six consecutive free throws in the final 56 seconds, giving Capistrano Valley (11-7, 0-2) an opportunity for a comeback.
Nick Holmes of Tesoro made one of two free throws with 4.6 seconds left for a 55-51 lead. But the Titans fouled Charles Pfirrmann with less than a second left as he was attempting a three-pointer.
Pfirrmann went to the line and made two free throws, then intentionally missed the third, hoping for a quick Capistrano Valley rebound basket.
It didn't happen, and Tesoro had its important road victory.
"Our guys lost their focus," Tesoro Coach Steve Garrett said of his team's final-minute performance.
Mason Mageo provided a lift with four three-pointers and 14 points for Tesoro. Robbie Picazo, the quarterback for the football team, added eight of his 10 points in the second half when Tesoro overcame a 10-point deficit.
Tim Benedix scored 18 points for Capistrano Valley, which lost its fifth consecutive game and continued to have problems in the fourth quarter, scoring only one basket in the first five minutes of the final quarter.
But Manresa was a consistent, dependable force in the middle for Tesoro. He's unselfish and doesn't try to take over a game by himself.
"I attract a lot of attention from teams and try to do what I have to do to help my teammates to win," Manresa said.
Added Garrett: "Other teams are double- and triple-teaming him, and it's freeing up a lot of other guys."
The Wear twins, Travis and David, of unbeaten Santa Ana Mater Dei, are the top big men in Orange County, headed to North Carolina.
Manresa, however, fulfills his role perfectly for the Titans, who continue to figure out life without three-year starter Matt Bailey, a point guard who broke his foot Dec. 30.
"We should be fine," Garrett said. "It's just a big loss. We're still adjusting. We went from a special team to pretty good. We hope to get back to special."
eric.sondheimer@latimes.com
