Girls basketball: Mesa under pressure

Barry Faulkner

FULLERTON - There will be two kinds of pressure put to bear on

Costa Mesa High in tonight’s CIF Southern Section Division III-A girls

basketball playoff opener at 7:30 at No. 4-seeded Rosary.

First, there exists the mere specter of single-elimination that comes

with any playoff game. But also, Coach Jim Week’s Mustangs must face the

relentless defensive pressure that has become a trademark for Richard

Yoon-coached Rosary squads.

“They’re going to give us 32 minutes of pressure,” Weeks said of the

Royals (15-13), who advanced to at least the section semifinals the last

three seasons, including a Division III-AA title in 1999 and a III-AA

runner-up showing in 2000.

“We’ve done a good job of improving against pressure,” Weeks said.

“We’ve even been able to get some points off of attacking the press.

Hopefully, we can get enough easy baskets to balance out whatever we may

give up with turnovers.”

The Mustangs (12-15), have done anything but give up this year. After

a 2-4 league start, they won four of their last five against PCL foes,

including a pair of overtime triumphs over Northwood, the latter in a

third-place playoff Friday.

Mesa is led by 5-foot-11 junior Rhondi Naff, who averages 16.4 points

per game.

“(Naff) is starting to develop into the kind of player who can put the

team on her shoulders,” Weeks said.

That task has been almost a requirement, however, since Mesa’s next

four leading scorers have combined to average 16.4 points.

Senior Christine Caron leads that group at 5.6 ppg, while junior

reserve Stacee Sanchez is next at 4.3 ppg.

Rosary is keyed by 5-9 sophomore guard Katie Enright (15.2 ppg), as

well as 5-10 junior forward Jasmine Martin (9.5 ppg) and 5-7 freshman

guard Teresa Karcher (8.8 ppg).

Costa Mesa, making its 13th straight postseason appearance, has won

four straight playoff openers, since Rosary eliminated the Mustangs in

the III-A first round, 66-60, in 1997.

Rosary and Costa Mesa share Westminster as a common opponent this

season.

The Lions defeated the Mustangs, 79-33, and were victorious over the

Royals, 65-57.

Tonight’s winner advances to visit Montview League champion Gladstone

(16-5) in Saturday’s second round.