Boys basketball: Strong second half lifts Mesa, 73-52

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - After pulling away again with a strong second half to

win a Pacific Coast League boys basketball game, Costa Mesa High would

now like to simply win another game.

“We’re one win from tying the school record (for victories in a season

at 18),” said Mesa Coach Bob Serven, whose team caught fire in the second

half as the host Mustangs defeated Newport-Mesa District rival Corona del

Mar, 73-52, Tuesday night in PCL action.

The Mustangs (17-9, 5-4 in the PCL) travel Thursday to Laguna Beach

for the regular-season finale and a victory would give Costa Mesa 18 wins

for the first time since the 1966 Bruce Chapman-led Mustangs, who were

coached by Jules Gage.

Costa Mesa, which scored 46 points in the second half against Estancia

last Friday in an eventual 72-48 win for the Mustangs, scored 51

second-half points against the Sea Kings (5-21, 1-8).

“We can’t do that come playoff time,” said Serven, whose squad made 4

of 16 three-point attempts in the first half, then drained 8 of 12 in the

second half.

“Danny Krikorian (14 points) kept us in the game in the first half. On

Senior Night, it was a junior who was making shots.”

Krikorian made 3 of 4 from beyond the arc in the opening 16 minutes as

the Mustangs managed a slim 22-20 halftime edge, then senior Chad Vakili

(game-high 26 points) and Cal State LA-bound senior point guard David

Conte (14 points, eight assists and four steals) found their shooting

strokes in the second half.

“Eventually, we’ll make some baskets,” said Serven, whose team trailed

CdM after the first quarter by one point, then pulled ahead by two at the

break.

Both of Krikorian’s three-pointers tied it in the second quarter, the

last time at 20 with 1:05, then senior Carlos Jaime scored for Mesa

underneath with 0:19 remaining to give the hosts a halftime lead. CdM’s

Eric Glass blocked a Mesa shot, but Jaime recovered the ball and put it

back up.

Late in the third quarter, CdM’s Brett Matsen (team-high 15 points)

canned a three-pointer to keep the Sea Kings within three (39-36), but

Costa Mesa scored nine points in the final 1:30 to pull away.

Vakili drained back-to-back treys and Jaime converted a three-point

play on a putback and foul shot with 0:37 left in the third period as the

Mustangs built a 48-38 lead.

“I told our kids I was very proud of the effort -- that’s the one

thing you can control,” CdM Coach Ryan Curry said. “But (the Mustangs)

shot themselves to a win. Chad Vakili and David Conte shot them to the

win.”

The Mustangs continued their onslaught in the fourth quarter, opening

with an 11-3 scoring run as Conte scored nine of his team’s points in the

spurt.

Junior Kevin Mancillas added 13 points for Corona del Mar, while Eric

Glass came off the bench to score 12 points and grab six rebounds.

Mancillas led CdM with nine boards.

Jaime led Costa Mesa nine boards.