Boys basketball: Eagles still searching

Barry Faulkner

WESTMINSTER - When your best efforts in early December are coming

from your football players still acclimating themselves to the sport,

it’s usually a clear indication your team is struggling.

Such was the case for the Estancia High boys basketball team Thursday,

as the Eagles dropped a 40-37 decision to Pacific Coast League rival

Laguna Beach in the 13th-place semifinal of the La Quinta Tournament.

Junior Lewis Bradshaw, who probably still has bruises from his tour as

the football quarterback, was the primary highlight for the Eagles, who

shot a season-worst 27.3% from the field (12 of 44) and gave back its

35-29 rebounding advantage by losing the turnover battle, 20-13.

Bradshaw came off the bench to amass 14 rebounds and eight points, the

latter matching Joey Lindquist for team-high honors. “(Bradshaw) is still

working his way into basketball shape, but he keeps pushing his way into

the lineup,” Estancia Coach Chris Sorce said of the physical 6-foot-2

performer. “He keeps crashing the boards like he did tonight and I don’t

see how I can keep him on the bench.”

Senior Jermaine Snell also added a bit of a spark, hitting one of the

Eagles’ two three-pointers and providing tenacious back-court defense.

Lindquist connected on 3 of 4 field-goal attempts, but the rest of the

starters made just 2 of 20, prompting Sorce to shuffle in replacements

looking for any kind of offensive chemistry.

“We’re really searching for something right now,” said Sorce, whose

task is now considerably more difficult since senior Micah Young will

indeed miss the rest of the season with a torn left ACL.

Despite their offensive struggles, the Eagles (1-3) stayed in the

seesaw affair, leading, 22-21, on Lindquist’s layup with 3:45 left in the

third quarter.

But the Artists (2-3) scored the final six points of the third quarter

and the first four of the final period and never looked back.

Estancia plays La Quinta for 15th place Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

LA QUINTA TOURNAMENT

13th-place semifinal

Laguna Beach 40, Estancia 37

Score by Quarters

Estancia 8 9 5 15 - 37

Laguna Beach 9 8 10 13 - 40

Estancia - Prado 7, J. Young 0, Lindquist 8, Cachola 5, Maldonado 0,

Bradshaw 8, Snell 5, Pinto 4, Novak 0, Valdes 0.

3-pt. goals - Prado 1, Snell 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Laguna Beach - Boyd 15, Leahy 7, Lyle 2, Norfleet 6, Gabbard 4, Sands

4, Renault 2.

3-pt. goals - Leahy 1.

Fouled out - Leahy.

Technicals - none.