Stuck in neutral

Joseph Boo

MISSION VIEJO - It seems that no matter what Costa Mesa High’s boys

basketball team did, it could not take a lead.

Actually, the Mustangs did lead, 2-0. Then, Carson steadily applied the

pressure to pull out a 66-58 win in Monday’s semifinal game of the Reebok

Millennium Classic at Trabuco Hills High.

“We hung tough. We had our chances,” Costa Mesa Coach Bob Serven said.

Costa Mesa (7-3) will play the Monday’s Santa Margarita-Trabuco Hills

loser for third place tonight at 6 at Trabuco Hills.

The Mustangs stayed within reach the entire game. Costa Mesa even got

within one in the third period. But Carson hit the key shots at the end.

The Colts went on an 11-2 run after Costa Mesa’s first basket to take a

lead they would not relinquish. After hitting three three-pointers for

its first nine points, the Mustangs got shots inside, with the front line

of Shaun Ferryman, Nathan Jones and Ryan Naff combining for 23 of Costa

Mesa’s 28 points in the first half.

But Carson forced turnovers with a trapping defense that kept Costa Mesa

from finding a rhythm.

“Their quickness bothered us,” Serven said. “They got a lot of second

shots and we had too many turnovers.”

Costa Mesa closed the lead to 37-36 in the third quarter when Naff, who

finished with 16 points, hit a three-pointer. But Carson got an immediate

answer with a three from Marques Washington. The Mustangs again cut the

lead when Jones, who led Mesa with 17 points, got a layup, but Carson

netted yet another three. And when Costa Mesa got a beautiful inbound

pass from Steve Whittaker to a cutting Naff for the bucket, Carson

responded with its third consecutive three-pointer.

The Colts employed the four-corner offense in the fourth quarter to milk

the shot clock and they took a double-digit lead when Keith Johnson got a

three-point play from an awkward bank shot that drew a foul.

Mesa’s Dave Weir and Whittaker hit three-pointers to cut into the lead,

but Carson held on.

Despite the loss, Serven felt the game provided a valuable experience.

“We’ve had a good tournament so far,” he said. “No matter what happens,

we had a good experience for our guys. We hung with them and cut the lead

down. This will be a good experience for us down the road.”

REEBOK MILLENNIUM CLASSIC

Semifinals

Carson 66, Costa Mesa 58

Carson 17 15 15 19 - 66

Costa Mesa 16 12 13 17 - 58

Carson - Washington 11, K. Johnson 9, A. Johnson 17, Waite 5, Fortson 10,

Peters 6, Battles 0, Jackson 7, Ibeckwe 1, Elder 0, Cummings 0.

3-pt. goals - Peters 2, A. Johnson 2, Jackson 1, Washington 1, Cummings

1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Costa Mesa - Hatsushi 5, Whittaker 6, Naff 16, Jones 17, Ferryman 9, Weir

5, Payne 0.

3-pt. goals - Naff 3, Whittaker 2, Hatsushi 1, Jones 1, Weir 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.