Boys basketball: Mustangs give no quarter, 72-58

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa High boys basketball team added to its

growing collection of huge Pacific Coast League victories Wednesday in

slow, satisfying increments.

“Our goal was to win, quarter-by-quarter,” said Mesa Coach Bob Serven,

whose Mustangs outscored the Trojans in each period, en route to a 72-68

triumph. The victory, Mesa’s fourth straight against PCL competition,

pulled the hosts (15-8, 5-2 in league) into a first-place tie with Uni

(13-9, 5-2).

“We won the first quarter, then we wanted to win the second, then the

third. Then, we told them to win the game.”

The Mustangs dutifully complied, combining a masterful defensive

performance with balanced offense and an emerging confidence, typified by

senior center Mike Payne.

Payne, a 6-foot-7 enigma to Mustang coaches early this season,

continued to put up impressive numbers. He scored all nine Mustang points

in the first quarter and finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds and nine

blocks.

“This feels great,” Payne said of his continuing contributions. He had

12 points, 17 boards and six blocks, then 14, 14 and nine in two games

last week and appears capable of reaching his long-sought triple-double

any time now.

“I kept reading in the newspaper about how Mesa could only make

three-pointers,” Payne said. “As a senior, I wanted to step up and help

us post a PCL (championship) banner.”

Junior point guard David Conte chipped in 18 points, four assists and

four steals, while Steve Whittaker (14 points) and Chad Vakili (13) also

scored in double figures.

Another key for the Mustangs was their foul shooting. They made 23 of

27 from the line, including 18 of 19 in the second half.

Whittaker drained four straight foul shots with 2:37 left, after Uni

fouled in the backcourt, then drew a technical for arguing the call. The

free-throw flurry upped the Mesa lead to 64-48 and eventually allowed

Serven to shuttle in the seniors on senior night.

Included in the late substitutions was crowd favorite Charlie

Amburgey, whose layin with eight seconds left doubled his season point

total. It also set off a wild celebration, which seems to be becoming old

hat for the previously downtrodden program.

“We have three more big league games, all on the road,” Serven said of

the remaining slate that begins with Northwood Friday.

Uni, which hit 9 of 30 three-point tries, was led by Jason Garey (15

points) and Hiro Christoph (14). Both netted a trio of three balls to

help push Uni’s season total to 236. Mesa now has 211 three-pointers,

with the CIF Southern Section single-season record of 294 (Chadwick in

1993-94) looming for both.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 72, University 58

Score by Quarters

University 7 13 19 19 - 58

Costa Mesa 9 19 22 22 - 72

University - Garey 15, Christoph 14, Asnon 11, Kusachi 5, D. Tran 4,

Newsome 4, Feistel 3, Gomez 2.

3-pt. goals - Garey 3, Christoph ,3 Asnon 1, Feistel 1, Kusachi 1 .

Fouled out - Newsome.

Technicals - Newsome 1.

Costa Mesa - Conte 18, Payne 16, Whittaker 14, Vakili 13, Krikorian 7, Biggion 2, Amburgey 2, Clark 0, Gandia 0, Millward 0, Fregoso 0.

3-pt. goals - Whittaker 2, Conte 2, Krikorian 2, Vakili 1.

Fouled out - Payne.

Technicals - none.