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, 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.