Boys basketball: Mesa seeks first CIF win

COSTA MESA - The first league champion in Costa Mesa High boys

basketball history shoots for its first postseason victory tonight at

7:30 in a CIF Southern Section Division III-AA second-round playoff game

against visiting La Canada.

The perennially strong Spartans (21-6) figure to provide the Mustangs

(17-9) a contentious welcome to the big time.

“They’re very disciplined, physical, smart, shoot well and are very

well coached,” said Mesa Coach Bob Serven, who scouted the Spartans’

79-68 first-round win over visiting Covina Wednesday. “They have about

seven guys who could all beat you and they just don’t make a lot of

mistakes.”

The Mustangs, who have dropped the school’s five previous playoff

games, including a first-round defeat at Monrovia last season, received a

first-round bye.

A win would also tie the school single-season victory record set by

the 1966 Mustangs.

Costa Mesa, which shared the Pacific Coast League crown with

University, is led by a four-pronged offensive attack. Senior guard Steve

Whittaker (12.5 points per game) is bolstered by junior point guard David

Conte (11.6 ppg), junior Chad Vakili (11.2 ppg) and 6-foot-7 senior

center Mike Payne (10.5 ppg).

Whittaker has contributed 79 three-pointers to the team total of 236.

Serven said rebounding will be a key for his undersized squad, against

a La Canada starting five that averages nearly 6-3.

“We need to contest every shot, limit their second shots and take care

of the ball,” Serven said. “And we need to take advantage of the open

shots they give us.”

Tonight’s winner advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinal, against either

No. 4-seeded Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (21-5) or Santa Paula (15-11).

-- by Barry Faulkner