Boys basketball: Loara beats Mesa again, 74-56

Richard Dunn

ORANGE - From one extreme to the other, Costa Mesa High’s boys

basketball team shot with bull’s-eye range in the first half Wednesday,

but shot its eye out in the second.

“As good as we played in the first half, we played equally as bad in

the second half,” said Costa Mesa Coach Bob Serven, whose team came from

behind in the second quarter to build a six-point halftime lead against

Loara, only to lose in the championship quarterfinals of the 36th annual

Orange Holiday Classic at Chapman University, 74-56.

For Loara’s Saxons (10-3), the victory extends their winning streak to

five games, while the Mustangs’ modest three-game win streak was snapped

as they shot 8 of 17 from three-point territory in the first half and

only 3 of 13 in the second.

“First of all, Costa Mesa shot lights out in the first half,” Loara

Coach Ed Prange said. “(The Mustangs) were making 21-foot shots and we

had hands in their faces. I told my guys at halftime if they do that,

they deserve to win.”

The Saxons also defeated Costa Mesa in the season opener in the Loara

Tournament, 61-49. “They’re a better team,” Serven said. “They beat us

both times. They have experienced guys and our guys are inexperienced,

and it showed in the second half.”

Loara started strong with an 18-10 lead at first quarter’s end, then

Mesa’s full-court pressure created six Loara turnovers in the second

quarter as the Mustangs shot 9 of 14 from the field and outscored the

Saxons, 29-15, for a 39-33 intermission edge.

“In the first half, we gave up too many open looks,” Prange said.

“Costa Mesa (7-5) is one of the better shooting teams in the county, and

if (the Mustangs) are making 21-footers with a hand in their face,

there’s not much more we do.”

Junior guard Chad Vakili (17 points) sparked Mesa with five

three-pointers, including a 4-of-4 effort in the second quarter. Junior

guards David Conte and Nolan Clark (11 points) also connected from

extra-point range in the second for the Mustangs, who play today at 12:30

p.m. against the loser of the Valencia-Sumner, Wash., quarterfinal

(contested late Wednesday night).

In the second half, Loara shot 72% from the field (18 of 25), with all

but two of its field goals coming on either layups or high-percentage

shots close to the basket.

Loara shot 64% from the field (29 of 45) for the game, led by senior

Nate Von Achen (18 points), who was perfect (8 of 8) from the floor.

Collin Brennan and center Bryson Hawkes scored 15 points each for Loara,

which outscored Costa Mesa in the third quarter, 22-7, and made 10 of 14

from the field, mostly layups off the fast break.

“We didn’t get rattled when (the Mustangs) made eight threes in the

first half,” said Prange, whose team outrebounded Costa Mesa, 30-20, as

the 6-foot-7 Hawkes pulled down a game-high nine boards (two offensive).

Mike Payne had six rebounds for Mesa, four in the second quarter,

while Clark added three assists, a steal and a rebound, and Conte chipped

in with two steals, two rebounds and one assist.

“(The Saxons) have a good team,” Serven said. “Our guys compete and

play real hard, but they’re bigger than us at every position.”

ORANGE HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Championship quarterfinals

Loara 74, Costa Mesa 56

Score by Quarters

Costa Mesa 10 29 7 10 - 56 La Mirada 18 15 22 19 - 74 Costa Mesa - Whittaker 3, Payne 8, Vakili 17, Conte 9, Krikorian 6,

Gandia 0, Clark 11, Millward 2, Biggio 0.

3-pt. goals - Vakili 5, Conte 2, Krikorian 2, Whittaker 1, Clark 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technical fouls - None.Loara - Brennan 15, Graham 8, Von Achen 18,

Sheldon 11, Moses 7, Hawkes 15, Brown 0.

3-pt. goals - Brennan 2, Sheldon 1, Moses 1.

Fouled out - Hawkes.

Technical fouls - None.