Girls basketball: Mesa moves to semis

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - It doesn’t matter what uniform the Costa Mesa High

girls basketball team’s opponent is wearing, the Mustangs are playing

against the standard expected to be set by Pacific Coast League rivals

Corona del Mar and Estancia.

So, while the Mustangs defeated Ocean View, 68-57, in their own Winter

Classic quarterfinal Thursday, Coach Jim Weeks was already making

comparisons for the upcoming league season.

“We have to use full-court pressure, because CdM and Estancia play

that way,” Weeks said. “Right now, we’re still trying to get to

Estancia’s intensity level.”

The Mustangs (8-5) swarmed the Seahawks (4-9) with that defensive

pressure, forcing 17 first-half turnovers to build a 34-19 lead.

Mesa used a 13-2 run in the final 2:53 of the first half to take

command, then upped the lead to 19 two minutes into the third period.

Ocean View kept coming, however, and eventually whittled the lead to

65-57, with 41 seconds left, about 30 seconds after Weeks put several

starters back in.

Mesa, however, held off to advance to tonight’s 8 o’clock semifinal

against Lake Washington.

Mesa senior point guard Nancy Hatsushi was the spark at both ends of

the floor for the hosts. She had 15 points nine steals and seven assists.

Rhondi Naff and Leigh Marshall chipped in 13 and 12 points,

respectively, while Naff’s eight rebounds matched Christine Caron for

team-high honors.

Mesa hit 24 of 30 free throws, while Ocean View was 20 of 32 from the

line.

Ocean View, which finished with 26 turnovers, had four players in

double figures, led by senior Andrina Velasquez with 15.

COSTA MESA WINTER CLASSIC

Championship quarterfinal

Costa Mesa 68, Ocean View 57

Score by Quarters

Ocean View 9 10 13 25 - 57

Costa Mesa 14 20 9 25 - 68

Ocean View - Valenzuela 15, Letcher 12, Shepperd 12, Williams 12, Abufarie 6.

3-pt. goals - Valenzuela 2, Williams 1.

Fouled out - Letcher, Shepperd.

Technicals - none.

Costa Mesa - Hatsushi 15, Naff 13, Marshall 12, Caron 6, Muniz 5,

Trejo 4, Cooper 4, Carich 4, Lazos 3, Le 2, Ponchar 0, Trinh 0.

3-pt. goals - none.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.