Girls basketball: Eagles win with authority, 51-37

Richard Dunn

CORONA DEL MAR - This could be the start of something big for

Estancia High’s girls basketball team, seeking its first Pacific Coast

League title in 10 years.

And Tuesday night’s 51-37 PCL victory against defending league

champion Corona del Mar seemed to have an exclamation point.

CdM Coach Elbert Davis, who pulled his starters in an act of

frustration with 3:32 left in the game and visiting Estancia leading,

43-32, was shellshocked.

“They brought it to us and they took it to us,” Davis said of the

Eagles (11-7, 3-0 in the PCL), who gained the inside track to the league

championship.

“It’s tough when you turn the ball over a lot, especially in your own

house. They’ve got some players, no doubt, but I didn’t think they’d be

like that until next year.”

Davis was referring to Estancia’s blossoming youth, specifically

freshman point guard Trisha Wase, sophomore forward Xochitl Byfield and

reserve forward Tisha Gray, also a sophomore.

“The way we played, we don’t want to see them again (in the second

round of league),” added Davis, whose team (7-11, 2-1) committed 19

turnovers, including seven in the fourth quarter as the Eagles pulled

away for an 18-point lead.

The Eagles, hoping for their first league championship since Lisa

McNamee coached them to a PCL title in the 1990-91 campaign, barnstormed

the hosts with in-your-face defensive pressure in the fourth quarter,

putting a chokehold on the Sea Kings.

“It wasn’t over until the fourth quarter, when we got all those steals

(seven) off the full-court press and got some easy baskets,” Estancia

Coach Paul Kirby said. “That was a good team win for us. It’s not just

one player doing it.”

Wase, a transfer from Costa Mesa, sparked Estancia with 13 points, 10

rebounds (seven defensive), five steals and three assists, including

three steals in the fourth period as the Eagles outscored Corona del Mar,

17-10, including a 16-5 run to open the final quarter.

“The freshman really played awesome,” Kirby said. “She’s one of the

best players in this league. And (Gray), if she keeps playing like that,

we’ll win the league.”

Gray contributed a game-high 15 rebounds (11 offensive), three assists

and three steals. All of her steals came in the fourth quarter as

Estancia built a commanding 50-32 edge with 1:57 left in the contest.

“Last year (on the road against CdM), we were up by three points at

halftime, but then we got blown out by 20 points in the second half,”

said Kirby, whose squad enjoyed a comfortable 28-18 intermission lead in

this one, its second 10-point lead of the first half.

Senior sharpshooter Zuyin Barrera led Estancia with 16 points, while Byfield, who got into foul trouble early, finished with 11 rebounds,

three blocked shots and one steal in only two quarters of action.

“They just wanted it more,” Davis said of the Eagles, who committed

only three turnovers in the first half, while making 7 of 17 from the

field in the second quarter as they increased their lead to double

digits.

Junior guard Courtney Kawata led CdM with nine points, all on

three-pointers, while Jackie McCoy had 11 rebounds and four assists and

Kristin McCoy chipped in with five boards, three steals and a pair of

blocked shots.

In the second quarter, Tory Matsufuji jump-started an Eagle rally by

sinking a three-pointer off the bench with 4:33 left, then Marie

Rodriguez followed with a basket as the visitors built a 17-7 lead.

CdM came back, ignited by three-pointers from Kawata and Kellyann

Klien, to pull within 21-18. But Estancia caught fire again before

halftime, lifting the Eagles to their second 10-point lead.

Early in the second half, CdM hit 4 of 5 field goals, capped by

Kawata’s trey, as the hosts crept to within 28-27. But the Sea Kings

would get no closer as Estancia never lost the lead.

As Lisa Hirata stepped to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter

for Estancia, Davis pulled his first-stringers with seemingly time left

(3:32) to make a final run at the Eagles, whose 11-point lead did not

appear insurmountable, especially considering CdM’s earlier rally from a

10-point deficit.

“They weren’t doing anything,” Davis said. “They weren’t getting the

job done, except Courtney. She kept us in the ballgame. She’s a

competitor. We needed five Courtney’s out on the court tonight.”

CdM’s Jackie McCoy opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to

cut Estancia’s lead to 34-30. But, from there, the Eagles’ pressure was

too much as the Sea Kings wilted during a 16-2 scoring run for the

Eagles.

As Lisa Hirata stepped to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter

for Estancia, Davis pulled his first-stringers with seemingly time left

(3:32) to make a final run at the Eagles, whose 11-point lead did not

appear insurmountable, especially considering CdM’s earlier rally from a

10-point deficit.

“They weren’t doing anything,” Davis said. “They weren’t getting the

job done, except Courtney. She kept us in the ballgame. She’s a

competitor. We needed five Courtney’s out on the court tonight.”

CdM’s Jackie McCoy opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to

cut Estancia’s lead to 34-30. But, from there, the Eagles’ pressure was

too much as the Sea Kings wilted during a 16-2 scoring run for the

Eagles.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Estancia 51, Corona del Mar 37

Score by Quarters

Estancia 10 18 6 17 - 51 Corona del Mar 4 14 9 10 - 37

Estancia - Byfield 6, Barrera 16, Orellana 2, Hirata 1, Wase 13,

Rodriguez 5, Gray 5, Cachola 0, Matsufuji 3, Cassity 0, Vasquez 0.

3-pt. goals - Barrera 1, Wase 1, Matsufuji 1.

Fouled out - Byfield.

Technical fouls - none.

Corona del Mar - K. McCoy 7, J. McCoy 7, Kawata 9, Gruber 0, Hawkins

0, Luu 0, Pham 6, Klien 5, Marks 1, Alateha 0, Otterbien 2.

3-pt. goals - Kawata 3, J. McCoy 1, Klien 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technical fouls - none.