Girls basketball: Eagles’ Barrera rings the bell

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - Estancia High senior Zuyin Barrera found the perfect

concoction for kicking her flu bug.

Just mix in one three-pointer, nine seconds, two crazy packs of fans

and four rings of a victory bell and serve at the Newport Rib Company.

Barrera’s trey not only gave her girls basketball team a dramatic

39-38 Pacific Coast League win over crosstown rival Costa Mesa, it

brought the “Victory Bell” perpetual trophy that goes to the series

winner back to Eagle Country after a one-year stint atop Mesa’s mantle.

Estancia won the first meeting this year, 42-26.

“It was a play we’ve been working on all year,” Estancia Coach Paul

Kirby said of the game-winning possession. “Actually, I was just looking

for a two-pointer, but Zuyin spotted up behind the (three-point) line and

hit the big shot when it counted the most.”

The designed play started with the Eagles (13-8, 5-1 in league)

trailing, 38-36, with 22 seconds left. With time running down, freshman

guard Trisha Wase drove the lane, saw Barrera open in the left corner and

delivered a crisp pass.

Barrera caught the ball, squared up and drained the game-winning

basket with nine seconds remaining, sending the Estancia side of the gym

into a frenzy.

“At 16 seconds, I took off for the corner to get open,” said Barrera,

who sat out all but the final three minutes of the first half and,

weakened, spent most of the second half on the sideline.

“Lisa (Hirata) set a great screen for me, Tisha got me the ball and I

hit it. It was definitely the biggest shot I’ve ever hit in my life.”

Mesa (12-10, 3-3) had one last chance to take the lead back, but

Barrera stole the inbound pass and forced a jump ball. With the

possession arrow pointing in the Eagles’ direction, Hirata took the

subsequent inbound pass and scurried around the court to kill the final

seconds of the contest.

“This was a big game for both of us,” Kirby said. “We both were coming

off of tough losses, so we both wanted this one bad. It was nice to see

us bounce back the way we did.”

Xochitl Byfield led the Eagles with 13 points and six rebounds, while

Tisha Gray grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with her four points.

Nancy Hatsushi led the Mustangs with 11 points, six assists and four

steals, while Rhondi Naff added 10 points.

“They (Estancia) did a great job against us tonight,” Mesa Coach Jim

Weeks said.

Estancia led after one quarter, 11-8, but was outscored, 13-1, in the

second, thanks to a hounding Mustangs’ defense.

“Mesa’s defense was really strong and we couldn’t do anything about

it,” Kirby said. “We made some adjustments at halftime and tried to work

more with our back screens to open up some more shots.”

Byfield, after being held to only three points in the first half, got

her offense going in the third quarter, scoring nine of the Eagles’ first

11 second-half points to help the visitors pull within 30-28.

“She’s a solid scorer for us,” Kirby said of his sophomore standout.

“Her scoring really got our team going again.”

The Eagles’ defense also turned up the heat, forcing seven Mesa

turnovers in the third quarter. But Mesa still managed to hold the lead

until Barrera’s bomb.

After a scoreless three minutes to open the final period, Mesa struck

first with a jumper by Naff, creating a 32-28 advantage.

Jumpers by Wase and Jessica Orellana (six points) drew the Eagles even

with 2:30 left.

After both teams traded hoops, Leigh Marshall, scoreless to that

point, bounced in a long three-pointer with 1:18 left to break a 34-34

tie.

Barrera, whose five points were the second-fewest she’s scored in 19

games this season, hit a driving underhand layup with one minute left to

trim the deficit to one.

Christine Caron (six points), made 1 of 2 free throws with 30 seconds

left for a two-point Mesa lead, but it wasn’t enough.

“I had been sick all week,” Barrera said. “I feel much better now.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Estancia 39, Costa Mesa 38

Score by Quarters

Estancia 11 1 16 11 - 39 Costa Mesa 8 13 9 8 - 38

Estancia - Byfield 13, Orellana 6, Wase 5, Barrera 5, Gray 4,

Matsufuji 3, Hirata 2, Rodriguez 1.

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

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Costa Mesa - Hatsushi 11, Naff 10, Caron 6, Muniz 5, Trejo 3, Marshall

3, Cooper 0, Lazos 0.

3 pt. goals - Hatsushi 1, Trejo 1, Marshall 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.