Girls basketball: Mesa-CdM showdown looms Thursday

Barry Faulkner

The Corona del Mar High girls basketball program wants the kind of

respect Costa Mesa’s Mustangs have reveled in for more than a decade.

The Sea Kings, for the first time in recent memory, are also contending

for something more tangible -- a league championship.

Coach Elbert Davis’ CdM squad (14-4) can take a big step toward earning

both Thursday night, when it visits Costa Mesa (12-5) for what is

expected to be a battle of Pacific Coast League unbeatens.

The winner of the game, which highlights girls basketball action

involving Newport-Mesa District schools this week, will finish the first

round of PCL play with sole possession of first place, provided the two

can handle PCL foes tonight.

Regardless of Tuesday’s outcomes, the Mesa-CdM winner will have at least

a share of the league lead, as well as the valuable head-to-head

tie-breaker advantage.

Mesa, which has won eight of its last nine games and earned four PCL

crowns in the 1990s, enters as the favorite. The Mustangs are led by

all-district veterans Autumn Smith, Nancy Hatsushi and Jenny Earnest.

Smith, a 6-foot-1 center and the District Co-Player of the Year last

season, has been dominant on the defensive end. She has blocked 18 shots

in victories over Estancia and University. She is, however, averaging

just four points in league.

Earnest, a senior guard, has led her team in scoring in both PCL contests

(14.5 points per game).

Hatsushi, a junior point guard who leads Orange County in assists (more

than seven per game), is coming off an ankle injury which forced her to

miss all but the opening minutes of Tuesday’s win at University.

The Sea Kings, winners of 11 of their last 12, are led by 5-8 junior

Kristin McCoy, averaging 20.5 points in league. McCoy, however, has been

asked to play inside more, since 6-0 junior Ainsley Kling has missed the

last seven games due to illness.

CdM will also rely upon freshman Jackie McCoy, Kristin’s sister, who is

averaging 10 points in league, as well as senior point guard Charlene

Quon and sophomore super sub Andrea Gruber.

The Mustangs will host Laguna Beach Tuesday, while CdM hosts University.

Estancia 10-8 after a nonleague win over El Modena Saturday, visits

Saddleback for another nonleague game tonight at 7. Coach Paul Kirby’s

Eagles, who led CdM the first 21 minutes, before falling apart in a 55-32

loss Thursday, can secure the inside track to the league’s third

guaranteed playoff spot with a road victory over University Thursday.

Newport Harbor continues its uphill struggle in the Sea View League

Thursday at Aliso Niguel. Coach Gregg Savage’s Sailors (3-15) are idle

Tuesday.

Costa Mesa concludes the week with a nonleague home date with Westminster

Saturday at 7 p.m.