Prep basketball: Who wants it most?

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The boys and girls basketball teams from Newport-Mesa

high schools Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Estancia all enter the final

week of Pacific Coast League play with a shot at the title.

Tonight begins the first of two final-week PCL doubleheaders, with the

girls tipping off at 5:30 and the boys scheduled to follow at 7. The

girls will also begin the first of two varsity games Thursday.

The final-week anomaly was created by league officials, in order to

leave Friday open for potential tiebreaker games, should the need arise.

All leagues are required to submit which teams will represent them in the

CIF Southern Section playoffs to the section office by Saturday morning.

In the boys race, University enters with a one-game lead over Costa

Mesa and Northwood, while CdM and Estancia enter two games back.

In addition to battling for one of the league’s three guaranteed

berths, CdM and Estancia, with 10 and nine wins, respectively, are

gunning for the 11-win plateau that will ensure teams at least an

at-large berth into the postseason.

Standing between Coach Paul Orris’ Sea Kings, the defending PCL

champions, and their 11th win are University (on the road tonight) and

Costa Mesa (at home Thursday).

Estancia’s boys need to sweep Northwood (at home) and University (on

the road) in order to extend the program’s district-leading string of

consecutive playoff appearances to 14. Coach Chris Sorce’s Eagles have

won their last two league games, and three of their last four, including

a 73-65 first-round upset of University.

Costa Mesa (15-9) is at last-place Laguna Beach tonight, before

visiting CdM Thursday. Should the Mustangs sweep, they would still need

help (a Uni loss) to capture at least a share of the first league

championship in the school’s 41 varsity seasons.

Meanwhile, Northwood, in its first varsity season and with former

Estancia head man Tim O’Brien at the helm, remains poised to earn a piece

of the title the Daily Pilot forecast for the Timberwolves, before the

first league game.

Like Costa Mesa, however, the T-wolves need more than a pair of

victories. They also need Uni to stumble.

The final week of the girls league campaign begins in an even tighter

knot. Defending champion CdM, Estancia and University are all tied atop

the standings at 6-2, while Mesa lurks at 5-3.

What’s more, a highly conceivable scenario could create a four-way tie

for first. This would play out like so:

*CdM defeats host Uni tonight, then falls to visiting Costa Mesa

Thursday.

*Estancia handles visiting Northwood tonight, then is beaten at Uni

Thursday.

*Costa Mesa sweeps at Laguna Beach (tonight) and CdM.

*Uni falls to CdM tonight, then tops Estancia Thursday.

League Athletic Directors are meeting today to discuss tiebreaking

procedures, which could entail another doubleheader Friday.

CdM, which defeated Estancia Thursday night, has won five straight

since dropping a 44-31 first-round decision to Uni. Coach Elbert Davis’

squad is playing its best basketball and if Kristin McCoy can avoid any

further ankle trouble (she missed two games prior to leading the win over

Estancia), CdM could gain at least a share of the crown.

Similarly, Estancia will be favored to sweep this week, the result of

which would be at least a share of the program’s first league title in 10

seasons.

Costa Mesa, which has had four league games decided by three points or

less (wins over Uni and Northwood and losses to CdM and Estancia) will

need to shake the inconsistency that has plagued Coach Jim Week’s unit

all year.

The silver lining for all three district girls squads: all three have

topped the 11-win minimum, so all will be in the playoffs, regardless of

league finish.