Girls basketball: Mustangs hit the road

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - South El Monte High, which hosts Costa Mesa for

tonight’s 7 o’clock CIF Southern Section Division III-AA first-round

girls basketball playoff game, might not be chasing a CIF championship.

The Eagles (11-12) are, however, still chasing the .500 mark.

Costa Mesa (15-12), on the other hand, spent its final 19 games over

the break-even point and hopes to extend its Newport-Mesa

District-leading 12th straight postseason, even though it must do so in

unfamiliar territory.

“Our girls look forward to playing anyone in the playoffs,” Mesa Coach

Jim Weeks said. “I know we’ll give our best effort and play as hard as we

can, no matter what challenges we face.”

South El Monte, which tied for second in the Mission Valley League,

knows all about challenges. The Eagles overcame a 1-8 start, including a

seven-game losing streak, by winning 10 of its last 14, including 7 of 10

league games.

Costa Mesa missed out on one of the Pacific Coast League’s three

guaranteed playoff spots, but was among five III-AA entries to receive an

at-large berth.

“We’re just happy to be on the sheet,” Weeks said at Sunday’s pairings

announcement.

The Mustangs, and Weeks, have also been more than pleased with the

four-year varsity career of senior Nancy Hatsushi, who has helped them

post a 5-3 postseason record the last three years, including a perfect

3-0 mark in playoff openers.

The 5-foot-4 point guard leads her team in scoring (14.8 points per

game), rebounding (3.6) and assists (just more than seven).

The Mustangs also rely upon senior guard Leigh Marshall (8.6 points

per game), sophomore reserve Rhondi Naff (8.9 ppg) and junior forward

Christine Caron (5.4 ppg), all of whom average around three rebounds per

contest.

Hatsushi has led the Mustangs in scoring in 18 of their 27 games, so,

at times, offensive support has been hard to come by. Poor shooting has

been a frequent companion in Mesa losses, as the Mustangs’ virtual lack

of inside scoring forces them to attack from the perimeter.

Pressure defense, however, has been a critical ally for Weeks’ squad,

which is always a threat to rattle off sudden scoring bursts, keyed by

easy transition baskets generated by its defense.

The Eagles, coached by Dean Bunting, lack size, with 5-6 freshman

Jessica Cordov the tallest among their top five scorers. Cordov averages

7.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

Evelyn Perez, a 5-4 senior guard, leads the offense at 12.8 ppg, while

5-3 guard Sabrina Valenzuela chips in 11.6 points and 5.5 boards per

contest.

Tonight’s winner advances to Saturday’s second round, where it will

likely meet No. 4-seeded Morningside (19-7), which hosts South Pasadena

(11-10) tonight.