Rivalry heats up in Eagles’ conquest

Richard Dunn

Adding more spice on the barbecue, the girls basketball rivalry

between Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools has been kicked up a

notch.

After the host Eagles retained possession of the Lady Bell trophy

with a convincing 67-32 Golden West League victory Wednesday night to

improve to 14-8 and 10-0 in league, Costa Mesa Coach Jim Weeks was

fuming because Estancia Coach Tami Rappa left her starters in the

game and the Eagles outscored the Mustangs in the fourth quarter,

21-7.

“(Weeks) thought I was running up the score, so he didn’t shake my

hand,” said Rappa, a first-year coach who added that she was “very

surprised” at the Mesa coach’s postgame actions, “because he knows

more than I do that it’s a rivalry.”

It was a night Estancia honored its seniors, Tisha Gray and

Xochitl Byfield, during an extended ceremony before tipoff. “I wanted

to get my two seniors the best stats they could get,” Rappa said.

“I’m leaving my starters in to give my seniors the best opportunity

to do that, and (Weeks) of all people should know that. This is their

last home game, and the best way to get them the ball is to leave our

starters in.”

Byfield, a 5-foot-8 senior, scored 25 points, her second-best

output of the campaign, while contributing 11 rebounds, five steals,

one assist and one blocked shot.

The 5-9 Gray added 13 points, six rebounds, two steals and one

block, while Estancia junior point guard Trisha Wase finished with 10

points, 13 rebounds (six offensive), six steals and four assists.

“They’ve got a great team and I congratulate them on a great

year,” said Weeks, whose squad fell to 13-10, 5-4 in league. “They’ve

got a great press, great ballhandlers and a great team. I

congratulate them on their league championship and the Bell and I

hope we can compete with them next year. That’s it.”

Weeks abruptly walked away.

Estancia, which travels Friday to Orange before concluding the

Golden West season next week, claimed at least a share of the league

title.

“We have a very good opportunity to close out league undefeated,”

Rappa said.

Estancia outscored the Mustangs in every quarter, beginning with a

13-2 burst in the first period. Mesa was 1 of 9 from the field and

committed six turnovers in the opening quarter.

After Rickell Reeves scored for Costa Mesa to cut Estancia’s lead

to 6-2, the Eagles scored the game’s next 11 points, including seven

unanswered points to end the first quarter, a run sparked by Byfield,

who scored five of the points.

Following Estancia’s 17-2 lead early in the second quarter, Costa

Mesa turned to 6-foot senior Rhondi Naff, who scored her team’s next

three field goals on consecutive possessions.

Estancia, however, continued its dominance over Costa Mesa,

building a 25-8 advantage on Gray’s layup to finish a fast break with

2:51 left in the first half. After a three-pointer by Mesa’s Susana

Trujillo, Gray scored two straight baskets, then the rivals exchanged

three-pointers by Stacee Sanchez (for Mesa) and Byfield as the Eagles

amassed a 32-14 intermission lead.

Naff, who poured in 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, scored

the first two baskets of the second half, but Estancia followed with

its biggest scoring run of the game -- 14-0. The spurt was ignited by

Byfield’s three-pointer with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter and

crowned by Byfield’s driving layup with 3:29 left to give the hosts

an insurmountable 46-18 lead.

Sanchez hit a three, Lacey Navarrette netted a long jumper (her

toes grazed the three-point line) and Naff scored on a nice move in

the paint as Mesa scored seven straight points to finalize the third

quarter.

The Eagles, though, weren’t finished. Byfield canned a three to

trigger the fourth-quarter surge, then, after Naff scored to cut

Mesa’s deficit to 51-29, Estancia outscored the Mustangs, 16-3, the

rest of the way.

Estancia’s Nancy Castro, who attempted only one shot in the first

three quarters, drained 4 of 7 from the field in the fourth quarter

and scored all nine of her points in the final frame, while pulling

down 10 rebounds, five in the fourth quarter.