Girls basketball: Local trio tested

Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools face stiff

competition in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division

III-AA girls basketball playoffs, after each earned first-round victories

Thursday night.

The matchups:

*Corona del Mar (14-12) visits La Canada (16-10) tonight at 7:30 The

Sea Kings polished off first-round foe, Ganesha, 68-48, Thursday and have

won seven of their last eight.

CdM, led by senior Kristin McCoy (14.4 points per game) and sophomore

Jackie McCoy (9.4), defeated La Canada, 60-49, in a first-round overtime

win at home last season.

CdM’s 68 points against Ganesha were its second-best output of the

season, bettered only by a 76-32 thrashing of Laguna Beach.

La Canada, which received a first-round bye, is the champion of the

Rio Hondo League.

Tonight’s winner would advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinals, against

either No. 2-seeded Rosary (21-7) or Burroughs of Ridgecrest (14-12).

*Estancia (16-10) visits No. 3-seeded Harvard-Westlake (22-5) with

tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

Coach Paul Kirby’s Eagles, which tied CdM for second in the Pacific

Coast League, edged Martin Luther King, 56-55, Thursday. Paced by

sophomore Xochitl Byfield (10.8 ppg), senior Zuyin Barrera (9.9 ppg) and

freshman Trisha Wase (8.8 ppg), the Eagles will try to upset the Mission

League champion Wolverines.

Harvard-Westlake is led by 6-foot senior Karina Siam (14 ppg).

The winner advances to the quarterfinals, to face either Azusa (21-4)

or Santa Ynez (19-4).

*Costa Mesa (16-12) hosts No. 4-seeded Morningside (20-7) tonight at

7:30. It’s a familiar foe for Coach Jim Weeks’ Mustangs, who have been

eliminated from the playoffs by the Monarchs twice in the last three

years.

The Mustangs trounced host South El Monte, 59-34, Thursday. They are

led by senior point guard Nancy Hatsushi (13.7 ppg), sophomore Rhondi

Naff (9.2 ppg) and senior Leigh Marshall (8.8 ppg).

The winner will face either San Dimas (22-5) or Chaminade (20-5) in

Wednesday’s quarterfinals.