Boys basketball: Eagles still coming together

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Members of the Estancia High boys basketball team

may not be on the same page at this point, but, for the first time in 15

summer games, the Eagles were at least all in the same gymnasium Sunday.

“That’s the first time all summer, we’ve had everyone there for a

game,” Estancia Coach Chris Sorce said. Sorce is still obviously trying

to pull things together, as evidenced by Sunday’s 76-66 loss to North

Torrance in consolation play of the George Yardley Summer Cage Classic at

Newport Harbor High.

“We still have some guys trying to figure it out, but we’ve shown we

can do some good things,” Sorce said.

There was some bad with the good Sunday, as the Eagles committed 25

turnovers and made just 15 of 34 free throws (9 of 25 after the first

period) to help the Saxons erase a 20-15 first-quarter deficit, build a

big lead, then withstand a late Estancia charge.

North Torrance put together an 18-0 run in less than three minutes in

the second period, turning a 24-20 deficit into 38-24 cushion with 4:08

left before halftime.

Estancia scored eight straight points and 10 of the final 16 before

halftime, then, with scoring contributions from eight different players,

continued to whittle the lead in the third quarter.

The Eagles entered the fourth period trailing, 56-52, and cut that

deficit in half when Kelvin Quijada banked in a layup 41 seconds into the

final quarter.

But the Saxons countered with an 8-0 burst, which eventually turned

into a 15-2 run to squelch Estancia’s comeback hopes.

“We did a good job of getting back into it,” said Sorce, who believes

his team is progressing as it prepares for next season.

Among those earning praise from Sorce Sunday were Carlos Pinto, who

debuted on the varsity last season as a freshman.

The 6-foot-4 Pinto, playing primarily on the wing, scored a team-high

20 points, including hitting 3 of 4 three-point attempts.

“Carlos has improved by leaps and bounds from last year,” Sorce said.

“He’s taking charge, offensively, and doing a lot of good things. He has

been playing so well, sometimes I forget that he’s only going to be a

sophomore next year.”

Costa Mesa transfer Jordan Stroman, who at 6-4 will be a junior, also

showed he will be a solid addition to his former crosstown rival. Stroman

collected 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.

“He’s still getting acclimated to our system, but he gets after it on

the boards, takes the ball to the hole and has a nice three-point shot,”

Sorce said.

Quijada a 5-5 senior-to-be, and Zack Novak, preparing for his senior

campaign, his second on the varsity, provided a spark in the backcourt,

where starter Matt Cachola, who will be a senior, sat out most of the

second half after injuring his right knee.

“(Cachola) said his knee popped,” Sorce said of the injury, which did

not appear serious. “It hurt us not having him in there, because he’s

really been playing well.”

Sorce said Cachola matched Pinto for team-high scoring honors with 24

in the Eagles’ triple-overtime triumph over Tesoro Saturday.

Quijada finished with five points, while Novak, who had been starting,

but came off the bench Sunday -- a penalty for missing time recently with

a trip to the mountains -- had six points and three steals in a little

more than a quarter.

Erik Andersen, another returner who will be a senior, chipped in 10

rebounds and four points, while 6-7 center Joey Lindquist, who will be a

senior, came off the bench to contribute 12 points and eight rebounds.

In other tournament action Sunday:

Corona del Mar, which began the tournament with a pair of wins, but

lost in Saturday’s quarterfinals to Calabasas, was handled, 62-37, Sunday

by El Toro.

Adam Freede, who will be a junior, continued his impressive tournament

with a team-high 13 points for Coach Ryan Curry’s Sea Kings.

CdM trailed only 11-10 after one period, but was outscored, 19-10, in

the second quarter and 19-2 in the third.