Girls basketball: Hatsushi, Mesa hold court, 46-41

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Eight players were honored during senior night at

Costa Mesa High Tuesday. But, as the Mustangs’ 46-41 girls basketball

victory over Pacific Coast League-leading University played out, there

was little doubt who stood at the head of the Class of 2001.

That would be four-year Costa Mesa varsity veteran Nancy Hatsushi, who

helped beat the Trojans with a sparkling display in about every facet of

the game.

Hatsushi appeared well on her way to surpassing her career-high

scoring performance of 25 with 14 first-half points, including a pair of

three-pointers. But, when the Trojans (12-10, 5-2 in league), focused

more defensive attention on her after intermission, she punched away at

their underbelly with precision passes. She also defended with

determination, repeatedly broke the press, and delivered verbal

inspiration and instruction during about every dead ball.

She assisted on all six Mesa field goals in the third quarter to help

the hosts turn a 22-21 halftime deficit into a 36-28 edge. She finished

with 15 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, one blocked shot and one very

proud coach.

“I’ve said it before, she’s the best point guard in South Orange

County,” Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “If she doesn’t make the (county)

All-Star Game, it’ll be the biggest ripoff in the history of the game.”

Hatsushi, of course, had help, as sophomore Rhondi Naff (11 points)

and junior Christine Caron (10) also paced the offense for the winners

(13-10, 4-3).

Caron (two) and Naff (one) also connected from three-point range, as

did Leigh Marshall and Barbara Trejo (one apiece), to help the hosts

riddle the Uni zone.

“They were playing zone and we haven’t had a great inside game,” said

Weeks, whose squad hoisted 30 attempts from beyond the 19-foot-9 arc. “We

just wanted to take a good shot, whether it was inside our outside.”

A trio of treys sparked a 13-0 run early to help Mesa build a 17-9

edge. After Uni rallied to gain the halftime lead, Trejo, Marshall and

Caron hit from threedom to help Mesa post a 15-6 edge in the third

period.

Kirsten von Tungeln, a 6-foot-2 center, hit a three-pointer to pull

Uni within 40-38 with 2:04 left. But Naff banked in a five-footer, then

hit a three from the left wing with the shot clock winding down to create

an insurmountable 45-38 cushion with 1:15 left. Both cashed in Hatsushi

assists.

Junior Shaadi Ariazand led Uni with 16 points, while von Tungeln, the

county’s leading rebounder, had 14 boards to go with her 15 points.