Boys basketball: Eagles floored by T-wolves

Richard Dunn

IRVINE - Looking like Pacific Coast League front-runners coming out

of the gates, Northwood High’s Timberwolves blitzed visiting Estancia

early and cruised to an 81-48 victory Wednesday in a PCL boys basketball

opener.

“They’re the PCL favorites and they showed it tonight,” said Estancia

Coach Chris Sorce, whose team (9-8) was buried fast by the T-wolves’

transition game as the hosts outscored the Eagles in the opening period,

26-8.

“They’ve got the whole package. They have big guys inside and guys who

can shoot it, and they’re all back from last year’s team (which finished

21-8 and reached the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A semifinals).”

Timberwolves Coach Tim O’Brien, a former Estancia and Orange Coast

College coach who led the Eagles to a state championship 11 years ago,

said his current squad “is a lot like my old Estancia teams, but we just

don’t quite have the grit yet.”

After an 11-day layout from game competition, the T-wolves came out as

if they missed it. They made 11 of 18 from the floor in the first

quarter, including 8 of 9 to start the contest.

“In the first half, they were unconscious it seemed like from the

field,” Sorce said. “We knew what they were going to do and we didn’t do

a good job of getting back on defense. They’re a very good basketball

team, they’re well-coached and they shot the lights out in the first half

(18 of 28).”

Drew Terry, a 6-foot-4 junior, scored 22 points, including 11 in the

first quarter. Terry and point guard Matt Susson each made two

three-pointers in the opening period. Susson’s first three-pointer gave

Northwood a 12-2 lead, then after Jorge Prado (11 points) scored for

Estancia, the T-wolves enjoyed a 12-1 scoring run as the built a 24-5

edge.

“Prado did some good things,” Sorce said. “And Carlos Pinto, a

freshman, started a PCL game after missing six games with a sprained knee

ligament. I don’t think a freshman has ever started a PCL game before at

Estancia.”

Fernando Maldonado added 10 points for Estancia, while Sorce said that

Matt Cachola came off the bench and provided a spark.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Northwood 81, Estancia 48

Score by Quarters

Estancia 8 12 14 14 - 48

Northwood 26 17 18 20 - 81

Estancia - Maldonado 10, Snell 2, Lindquist 8, Prado 11, Pinto 4,

Cachola 6, Andersen 6, Novak 0, Valdes 1.

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

Fouled out - Lindquist.

Technicals - none.

Northwood - Terry 22, Susson 6, Selway 13, Bailey 12, Gray 4, Sanchez

8, DeLong 4, Bentrott 2, Chrispens 8, Krahelski 2.

3-pt. goals - Terry 3, Sanchez 2, Susson 2, Selway 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.