Boys basketball: Eagles smother Edison, 53-42

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Estancia High boys basketball coach Rich Boyce said

senior guard Jason Simco, battling illness, “almost coughed up a lung at

halftime.”

But after intermission, the 5-foot-10 standout was well enough to take

the heart out of the Edison offense, keying a 53-42 second-round pool

play victory Tuesday in the Coast Christmas Classic at Estancia.

“Defense, defense, defense,” Boyce said of the Eagles’ second-half

stranglehold, which began by holding the Chargers scoreless for nearly

six minutes.

Edison, which trailed only 29-28 at halftime, scored its first points of

the third quarter with 2:09 left. By that time, Estancia had built an

eight-point lead it would never relinquish.

“Jason’s been sick, but he told me at halftime, ‘Coach, I’ve got (Edison

senior forward Steve) Henderson’ in the second half.’ He did a real good

job on him and our whole team played great defense, which was the key.”

Henderson, who drilled a pair of three-pointers in the final minute of

the second quarter to pull the Chargers close, managed just two shots

after the break, missing both. He finished with a team-high 11 points.

Edison, in fact, made just two of its first 11 second-half shots, and

shot 33% from the field in the final two quarters. The designated hosts

shot just 37% overall.

“(The 6-5 Henderson) was definitely the key,” Simco said. “Defense is my

specialty and everyone was helping out.”

While Estancia’s defense turned up the pressure, the offense utilized

better patience to find quality shots.

Seven of the Eagles’ 10 second-half field goals were layups, most coming

on back-door cuts.

Senior Jon Cantrell hit four of the Eagles’ five three-pointers en route

to a game-high 18 points, while senior Darshaun Garner (13) and Simco

(11) formed a scoring trio which matched Edison’s offense.

Garner, the Eagles’ only true frontcourt player at 6-4, also gathered

seven of his game-high 13 rebounds in the pivotal third quarter. He

blocked two shots.

The Eagles (9-4) battle Trabuco Hills, also 2-0 in pool play, tonight at

7:30. The winner will play in Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. championship game.