Costa Mesa girls fall

Costa Mesa High’s girls basketball team slumped to 2-6 against

strong competition Wednesday as Peninsula’s Panthers scratched out a

55-37 victory in the consolation bracket of the Artesia Tournament at

Hawaiian Gardens Center.

Coach Jim Weeks, who watched his team stay to within 40-35 with 5:00

left, summed it up with the simple statement: “Peninsula should never

have lost its first-round game in this tournament.”

The Panthers, 5-3, responded with a 15-2 run down the stretch for

their victory over Mesa, putting the Mustangs into today’s 4:40 game at

the same site against Gahr.

Rhondi Naff scored 11 points and had 11 boards for Mesa, and Christine

Caron, playing through an ankle injury, had five rebounds.

ARTESIA TOURNAMENT

Consolation First Round

Peninsula 55, Costa Mesa 37

Peninsula - Davis 6, Ellis 18, Lee 15, Tomita 4, Maier 4, Kanemaki 4,

Bonde 2, Baxter 2.

3-pt. goals - Ellis 1.

Fouled out - none.

Costa Mesa - Bello 3, Caron 4, Naff 11, Poncher 6, Carich 0, Sanchez

9, Reeves 4, Akansel 0, Bozemann 0, Brick 0, Grewal 0.

3-pt. goals - Bello 1, Poncher 1, Sanchez 1.

Fouled out - none.