Estancia, CdM chasing titles

Barry Faulkner

The Estancia High girls basketball team can all but wrap up the

Golden West League crown this week, while Corona del Mar aims to

remain in the logjam atop the Pacific Coast League.

Estancia (10-8, 5-0 in league) begins its crucial week tonight

against visiting Ocean View. But it’s Wednesday’s road date against

Westminster (5-1 in league) that Coach Tami Rappa and her Eagles have

circled on their calendars.

“That is definitely the big one,” Rappa said of a rematch with the

Lions, whom the Eagles handed their first league loss since 1999 with

a 44-41 league-opening decision Jan. 7 at Estancia. “It’s going to be

very noisy and we’re going to have to keep our composure and be ready

to play. We’ll need to limit our turnovers and continue to shoot a

high percentage, both from the field and at the free-throw line. We

have a lot to prove, because Westminster wants to get back into first

place. But we should be a force to be reckoned with.”

Rappa, in her first season at the helm for the Eagles, who shared

the Pacific Coast League title last season, the programs’ first

league crown in 11 seasons, said the Eagles should be at full

strength.

Estancia defeated Orange in its only league contest last week

without junior point guard Trisha Wase.

Wase shares the team scoring lead with senior Xochitl Byfield

(both 12.7 ppg), but Wase has missed three of the team’s last seven

games.

“(Wase) will be there Wednesday and she will probably start,”

Rappa said.

Wase had six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter in the first

Westminster game, including a free throw with 25 seconds left for the

eventual game-winning point. She is averaging 11 ppg in league.

Byfield (13.2 ppg in league), is joined by senior Tisha Gray (9.8

ppg, 10.6 in league) as the Eagles’ three leaders.

Senior Crystal Mino, who swished two free throws with 10 seconds

left to ice the first win over Westminster, is a defensive catalyst,

while Nancy Castro, a junior, has typically rounded out the starting

five for the Eagles.

Since falling to Estancia, Westminster has outscored five

subsequent league foes by an average of more than 27 points per game,

averaging 67.4 points in the process.

Estancia, meanwhile, has won its last four league games by an

average of just less than 14 points, averaging 54.3 points in the

process. The Eagles finish their three-game week with a league clash

against visiting Saddleback Friday.

Corona del Mar enters the week in a three-way tie with Calvary

Chapel and Northwood for the league lead. Coach James Barkalow’s Sea

Kings (8-10, 3-1) needed overtime to overcome a woeful shooting

performance at Uni Tuesday (26.3%), before being waxed at Calvary

Chapel Thursday, 65-35. CdM shot just 28.2% against Calvary, which

was defeated by Northwood in the league opener, 42-40.

The Sea Kings are paced by senior Kelliann Klein (13.7 ppg), who

has contributed 15.3 ppg in league. Madison Otterbein, a 5-foot-11

senior, is averaging 7.3 ppg in league, up from her 6.7 season

average, while junior guard Kate Heeschen has scored 26 points in

four league games (6.5 ppg) after posting just 21 points her first 12

contests this season.

Costa Mesa (11-8, 3-2 in league) can strengthen its hold on third

place in the Golden West race this week. Coach Jim Weeks’ Mustangs

visit Saddleback (2-3 in league) tonight, then host Ocean View (2-3

in league) Wednesday. The Mustangs, led by senior Rhondi Naff ( 17.6

ppg) have the league bye Friday.

Newport Harbor (11-11, 1-4) has Sea View League road dates with

Foothill (Tuesday) and Aliso Niguel (Thursday).

Sage Hill (9-4, 1-3) continues Academy League play, at Oxford

Academy Tuesday and at Brethren Christian Thursday.