Boys basketball: Mesa gets first PCL win

Steve Virgen

CORONA DEL MAR - After leading the Costa Mesa High boys basketball

team to a 49-39 Pacific Coast League road victory over Newport-Mesa

District rival Corona del Mar, Mustangs senior point guard David Conte

delivered a message for the rest of the PCL Friday.

“You haven’t seen the best from this team,” said Conte, who scored 12

of his game-high 17 points in the first half. “The best is yet to come.”

Costa Mesa (12-8, 1-3 in the PCL) opened the game with a 9-0 run, as

Conte scored the first seven, including a three-pointer which prompted a

Sea King timeout.

“(Conte) played really hard,” said Mustangs Coach Bob Serven, who was

not overall pleased with the victory. “We could play better. We’re kind

of in a funk right now. We’re still trying to get second place in league.

We’re just trying to snap out of our doldrums, so to speak.”

The Sea Kings (4-17, 0-4) answered a 26-15 halftime deficit with a 9-0

run of their own in the first 2:45 of the third quarter. Junior Brett

Matsen, who scored a team-high 13 points, led the spurt hitting a

three-pointer and converting a three-point play.

However, the Mustangs held off CdM with Conte’s ability to penetrate

through the Sea Kings’ defense.

“We were in position to win,” CdM Coach Ryan Curry said. “We just

didn’t hit our shots. We have to figure out a way to hold off our bad

stretches.”

Mesa senior center Jason Millward contributed 15 points. CdM junior

Kevin Mancillas scored 10 and senior Eric Glass came off the bench to add

nine points.