Boys basketball: Mustangs blitz La Mirada, 60-42

Richard Dunn

ORANGE - There are moments during Costa Mesa High boys basketball

practices when junior guard Nolan Clark plays with a certain edge,

driving and slashing aggressively to the basket and finishing with a soft

touch.

The challenge for Mustangs Coach Bob Serven was to find a way to bring

those moves out in Clark in a game.

That game came Tuesday as Clark capped a big first quarter for the

Mustangs, who won their third straight game, defeating La Mirada’s

Matadores, 60-42, in the opening round of the Orange Holiday Classic at

Chapman University.

Coming off the bench, Clark ignited a Costa Mesa rally, scoring nine

straight points as the Mustangs built an 18-7 lead.

Clark, who scored a season-high 14 points, sank a three-pointer with

2:24 left to trigger the onslaught. He followed it up with three more

baskets to conclude the quarter: A runner through the key, a baseline

drive and layup, and another short finesse shot after driving past the

defense.

“He can do that,” Serven said of Clark, who scored in double figures

only one other time this season (10 points against Westminster).

“His strength is his ability to drive to the basket and shoot a good

jumper.”

Among Costa Mesa starters, junior guards Chad Vakili (15 points) and

David Conte (13) led the way offensively with three three-pointers each,

while 6-foot-7 senior center Mike Payne had 11 rebounds (three

offensive), two blocked shots and one assist.

“(Payne) can alter shots,” Serven said, referring to La Mirada’s timid

approach to the basket after Payne’s first blocked shot in the opening

period.

In the first, the Mustangs (7-4) led, 9-7, then scored nine points in

a row by quarter’s end, all because of Clark’s hot hand.

“That was (Clark’s) best quarter (of the season),” Serven said. “We

just need him to do that for a full game.”

With its win over La Mirada (3-8), Costa Mesa will face Loara in the

championship quarterfinals today at 3:10 p.m. at Chapman. Loara best host

Orange, 77-43, to advance.

Additionally, Loara knocked off Costa Mesa in the season opener in the

Loara Tournament, 61-49.

“We’ll have to play better (today) than we did (Tuesday), and we’ll

have to play better than we did last time against (the Saxons),” said

Serven, who added his squad played “sluggish” after a couple days off for

Christmas, even though the Mustangs shot 45% from the field (21 of 47),

including 9 of 26 from three-point territory.

Costa Mesa was 8 of 10 from the field in the first quarter, while La

Mirada was 3 of 13.

In the second quarter, the Matadores challenged the Mustangs’

long-range shooting, while trying to shut down the middle with a

triangle-and-two defense. Mesa responded with three-pointers from Vakili

and Conte, and a 19-foot baseline jumper by Vakili.

“I don’t know why (the Matadores) were in a triangle-and-two. I

wouldn’t triangle-and-two us,” Serven quipped. “If we had just made some

shots, it would’ve made it real easy. But we’ll take it ... (The

Matadores) liked that slower offense, too. They were down by 15 points

(throughout most of the second quarter), and still their offense was very

methodical.”

Costa Mesa was 4 of 10 from three-point land in the first half,

building a 31-22 halftime lead.

Early in the third quarter, the Mustangs pulled away, scoring eight

straight points to open the second half for a 39-22 cushion. Senior guard

Steve Whittaker drained two three-pointers for Costa Mesa in the third

quarter as the Mustangs enjoyed a 45-31 lead by quarter’s end.

Brant Allen-Blaine, Charlie Torres and Michael Oronoz each scored 10

points for La Mirada.

ORANGE HOLIDAY CLASSIC

First round

Costa Mesa 60, La Mirada 42

Score by Quarters

La Mirada 7 15 9 11 - 42

Costa Mesa 18 13 14 15 - 60 La Mirada - Najera 3, Allen-Blaine 10, Moreira 1, Torres 10, Oronoz

10, Lee 4, Jones 2, McQueen 2.

3-pt. goals - Torres 2, Najera 1, Oronoz 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technical fouls - Head coach Jason Piestch.

Costa Mesa - Whittaker 6, Payne 7, Vakili 15, Conte 13, Krikorian 5, Gandia 0, Clark 14, Millward 0, Cabico 0.

3-pt. goals - Vakili 3, Conte 3, Whittaker 2, Clark 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technical fouls - None.