Eagles rebound for win

Steve Virgen

LAGUNA BEACH - When Eliasar Maldonado, a senior guard on the

Estancia High boys basketball team, missed his first three shots, he went

back to the thoughts he had on the bus ride over to Laguna Beach.

He thought about the importance of the game for his team and for

himself because he had missed the Pacific Coast League opener for being

ejected in the previous game.

Maldonado found his shooting touch, scored a game-high 25 points and

kept his cool, leading the Eagles to a wild 57-32 PCL victory Friday.

“This game meant a lot to me,” Maldonado said. “I got ejected that

last game. It really hurt me. I got down on myself for letting the team

down. I just waited for my time to come and I started to hit my shots.

This was a must-win for us.”

Despite losing junior forward Micah Young to a sprained left ankle for

three quarters, the Eagles (6-10, 1-1 in league) relied on a relentless

defense and Maldonado to pull out their first league victory of the

season.

Perhaps most important, when the game began to get out of hand -- two

Estancia players were charged with technical fouls and Laguna Beach

intentionally fouled an Eagle -- Maldonado showed the leadership that has

been asked of him by Coach Chris Sorce.

“It was just nice to see (Maldonado) back on the court, playing his

game,” Sorce said. “If we’re going to have success in this league, he’s

going to have to be our offensive leader. As long as he stays shooting

warm to hot, we’re going to be OK.”

After shooting 3 for 9 in the first half, Maldonado found his touch in

the third quarter. He scored 12 of Estancia’s 16 points in the quarter as

he missed just one shot and hit two three-pointers.

He also received a little help along the way. A Laguna Beach player

converted on an easy layup, but it was at the wrong basket and Maldonado

was nearest to the play and was credited with the points.

The Artists (4-13, 0-2) could not find any rhythm and giving the

Eagles two points was just an indication of their night. Laguna Beach

shot 2 of 16 from the field in the first half as Estancia capitalized

with a 24-6 lead.

The Artists hit their second field goal of the game when Nick Brown

converted on a jump shot before the buzzer sounded.

“Our defense in the first half was outstanding,” Sorce said. “There

was a combination of us playing some good defense and them being cold

offensively. When that combination is going all the time, you’re going to

win more than you’re going to lose.”

The biggest disappointment for the Eagles came when they lost Young.

He had already scored four points and was establishing his presence in

the paint. Just before halftime, he landed on a Laguna Beach player’s

foot, twisting his ankle.

Estancia’s backcourt stepped up in Young’s absence. Estancia junior

George Prado (four points) dished out five assists to Maldonado.

Eagles sophomore Matt Cachola, who scored six points, provided solid

ballhandling on offense to use up the clock.

Estancia’s Valbuena brothers, Danny and Kenny, played aggressively,

matching the Artists’ physical play. Danny finished with eight points and

Kenny scored seven.

The Eagles return to action Monday as they play at Santa Margarita,

ranked No. 2 in Orange County.