Girls basketball: Mesa takes tourney title

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - A strong first half by Nancy Hatsushi and Jenny

Earnest, followed by clutch baskets by Leigh Marshall propelled Costa

Mesa High’s girls basketball team to a 54-42 championship win over Villa

Park in the Costa Mesa Tournament Thursday night.

It was the first Costa Mesa Winter Classic title for the host Mustangs

since 1992.

Hatsushi and Earnest combined for 25 of the team’s 29 first-half

points, while Marshall drained two three-pointers down the stretch,

breaking the spirit of the Spartans.

Hatsushi (seven assists) was named the tournament’s Most Valuable

Player, while Earnest (four steals) and Autumn Smith (eight points, 10

rebounds, four blocks) were named to the all-tournament team.

“It was a great win for us,” Coach Jim Weeks said. “With each win, the

team is believing more and more in themselves. We just have to keep

striving to get better.”

With Mesa (10-4) holding a two-point lead after the first quarter,

Hatsushi and Earnest, scoring 17 of the teams’ 19 points, helped the

Mustangs’ lead grow to eight at halftime.

Spartans’ center Lauren Yabon scored 15 points to lead the Spartans

(7-8), but only scored four points in the first half.

“We tried to be fast and tough with man-to-man defense,” Weeks said.

“Our biggest goal was to pressure the guards so they couldn’t get the

ball into Yabon.”

Mesa hit three three-pointers in the third quarter, including a big

trey from Marshall, which gave the Mustangs their biggest lead of the

game at 37-24.

“Each night, we’ve had someone step up and have a hot hand,” Weeks

said. “Tonight, it was Leigh.”

Villa Park got as close nine in the fourth quarter, but Marshall’s

three-pointer with four minutes remaining, gave the Mustangs a 12-point

lead and never looked back.

“I’m never satisfied,” Weeks said. “We have to keep playing hard and

we have to keep getting better. We’re playing them again on Tuesday, so

I’m sure they’ll be looking for revenge.”

Tuesday’s game with the Spartans will be at 7 p.m. back in Mesa’s gym.