Boys basketball: Krikorian connects for Mesa

ORANGE - Costa Mesa High junior Danny Krikorian hit 7 of 8

three-point attempts, including his final six, en route to a career-high

24 points and senior David Conte scored a team-high 30 to lead the

Mustangs to an 85-76 win over Kentridge from Washington in a fifth-place

boys basketball semifinal at the Orange Holiday Classic Friday at Chapman

University.

Down, 45-41, at halftime, the Mustangs (9-5) turned up their defensive

intensity to build a 60-52 lead that eventually ballooned to 77-62,

before cruising to the finish.

Conte, who added nine assists, netted five three-pointers and sneior

Chad Vakili hit thrice from beyond the arc en route to 19 points.

The 15 three-pointers are the most this season by Mesa and the 246

combined points in three tournament games, this week, are the most in a

three-game stretch by a Mesa team since the 1976-77 season.

The Mustangs play the Foothill-Tustin winner today at 3:30 p.m. for

fifth place.

ORANGE HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Fifth-place semifinal

Costa Mesa 85, Kentridge 76

Score by Quarters

Kentridge 19 26 10 21 - 76

Costa Mesa 17 24 19 25 - 85

Kentridge - Blauman 2, Curtis 2, Byrne 8, Broughton 5, Jeremiah 6,

Wilson 36, Henley 16, Smith 1.

3-pt. goals - Byrne 2, Jeremiah 1, Wilson 1.

Fouled out - Jeremiah.

Technicals - none.

Costa Mesa - Vakili 19, Jaime 4, Millward 0, Conte 30, Krikorian 24,

Clark 6, Trinh 2, Rodriguez 0, Rowe 0, Ball 0, Kohara 0, Stroman 0.

3-pt. goals - Krikorian 7, Conte 5, Vakili 3.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.