Girls basketball: Estancia dazed, 59-27
Steve Virgen
COSTA MESA - Morningside High has a “Big Three” all its own and its
trio overshadowed the Estancia girls basketball team, which lost, 59-27,
in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division III-A playoffs
Saturday night, at the Eagles’ gym.
The Monarchs’ Donnisha Sanford, Natasha Thomas and Tawny Whiting
combined for 49 points and 23 rebounds, as Morningside (21-5) outscored
the Eagles, 20-7, in the second quarter to pull away.
“I think our Big Three might be little bigger,” Monarchs Coach Frank
Scott said with a smile, referring to the mismatch of his trio over
Estancia’s Xochitl Byfield, Trisha Wase and Tisha Gray. “But Estancia
hustled and they never gave up.”
The Eagles (16-11), the Pacific Coast League co-champions, showed
their grit early, when they posted leads of, 9-8, and, 11-8, with less
than two minutes left in the first quarter.
Gray scored the Eagles’ first six points of the quarter and Estancia
trailed, 8-6. Wase later found Byfield in the corner and the 5-foot-8
junior forward knocked down a three-pointer for the 9-8 lead. Senior
Marie Rodriguez then stole the ball and lofted a pass to Byfield, who
drove in for a basket.
But the Monarchs scored the next four points, including a
three-pointer by Whiting with eight seconds left and Morningside never
relinquished its lead. Morningside grabbed momentum when Sanford scored
the Monarchs’ first eight points in the first two minutes of the second
quarter.
“They’re not seeded No. 3 for nothing,” Estancia Coach Paul Kirby said
of the Monarchs. “They’re a good team. We won a league championship
(shared with University) and lost to a very good team. There’s nothing to
be ashamed of.”
Gray led the Eagles with eight points.Byfield, Wase, Rodriguez and
freshman Imelda Pena hit one three-pointer each. Wase, who had five
points, entered the game scoring in double figures in 10 straight games.
Byfield scored seven points.
Morningside, the Bay League’s runner-up, spoiled Estancia’s postseason
with an astounding advantage on the boards. The Monarchs outrebounded the
Eagles, 23-8 in the first half, including 14-3 on the offensive boards.
Overall, Morningside held a 41-21 rebound advantage.
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