Boys basketball: Eagles soar to seventh straight win

Steve Virgen

ESTANCIA - To reach its seventh straight win, the Estancia High

boys basketball team went to its bread and butter to gain a 59-49

quarterfinal victory over Notre Dame of Riverside in the 17th annual

Estancia Coast Classic Thursday.

The Eagles (9-4) depended on a full team effort, the biggest reason for

their seven-game winning streak, to advance to today’s semifinal against

Villa Park at 6:25 p.m.

“We’re finally coming together offensively,” said Estancia Coach Chris

Sorce, whose Eagles have not lost since Dec. 12. “We have three or four

guys who can score in double figures. We have different guys stepping up.

And our defense has been getting better.”

Seniors Jorge Prado (20 points) and Fernando Maldonado (16) were two

among the several Eagles who stepped up in the victory. Eagles junior

center Joey Lindquist scored 11 points and blocked two shots.

Maldonado and Prado each nailed four three-pointers. Prado knocked down

three three-pointers in the first quarter to score nine of Estancia’s 11

points in the first eight minutes, while Maldonado scored 10 of the

Eagles’ 14 points in the second quarter. Prado also went 6 for 6 from the

foul line.

Maldonado, who shot 4 of 4 in the second quarter, scored six points in 48

seconds, providing a 25-21 lead that Estancia took into halftime.

The Eagles then broke out with a 10-0 run in the first 4:19 of the third

quarter to grab complete control of the game. The Titans (6-5) did not

make a shot in the third quarter (0 for 10).

“It’s nice that I have people to go on the bench, too,” Sorce said.

“Mitch (Valdes) and Zack (Novak) don’t get all of the notoriety, but they

do all the things that it takes to win games.”

Valdes made a highlight-type play in the fourth quarter. With four

minutes left, he stole the ball, led the fast break and made a no-look

pass to Lewis Bradshaw, who converted an easy layup for a 53-38 lead.

Titans Coach Rob Robinson said his team was without its best player,

5-foot-11 senior Talani Calhoun, who injured his ankle Wednesday. Calhoun

averages “about 26 points a game,” Robinson said.

ESTANCIA COAST CLASSIC

Quarterfinal

Estancia 59, Notre Dame of Riverside 49

Notre Dame 10 11 7 21 - 49

Estancia 11 14 15 19 - 59

Notre Dame - Pascua 0, Beard 0, Lopez 13, Richards 2, Conley 0, Lyons 23,

Durough 7, McSherry 3, Dwight 1.

3-pt. goals - Lyons 1, Durough 1, McSherry 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Estancia - Maldonado 16, Bradshaw 4, Lindquist 11, Prado 20, Snell 2,

Novak 4, Valdes 2, Anderson 0.

3-pt. goals - Maldonado 4, Prado 4.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.