She’s the Real McCoy

Corona del Mar High’s girls basketball team got a big boost entering

next week’s CIF Division III-A Playoffs with a 45-42 Pacific Coast

League victory at Northwood Thursday night.

The victory gives CdM a share of second place with a good shot at

a home game in the opening round of the playoffs.

McCoy hit a season-high 19 points, scoring eight points in the

first quarter as CdM jumped to an 18-7 lead, and in the fourth

quarter, the last of her four three-pointers put CdM into the lead at

42-41, and then she finished it out with three at the line to put the

decision away.

“We really stepped up and played defense,” said CdM Coach James

Barkalow. “Our game plan was to contain their Holly Miles, who had

seven three-pointers the other night.”

Barkalow’s assignment for his two quick guards, Kathryn Heeschen

and Colleen Marks, was to deny Miles the ball, and the Northwood

standout finished with just six points on two threes.

CdM improves to 12-12, 7-3. Northwood finishes 7-3 in league.

Eagles complete perfect run

The Estancia High girls basketball team made an undefeated run

through the Golden West League (12-0), culminating in a 53-41 victory

Thursday night over host Ocean View.

The Eagles (17-8 overall) were led by a quadruple-double from

guard Trisha Wase (14 points, 10 steals, 12 rebounds, 13 assists) and

14 points from Tisha Gray and 13 by Xochitl Byfield.

Estancia led, 14-7, at the end of one quarter and was in control

most of the game. Ocean View cut the lead to four at the beginning of

the fourth quarter, causing first-year Estancia Coach Tami Rappa to

call a timeout.

“It was a gut check and I sent them back in there,” Rappa said.

Byfield and Gray had seven and six rebounds, respectively, with

Krystal Mino adding four points, four rebounds and four steals. Nancy

Castro had six points and four rebounds for the Eagles, who will

compete in the CIF Southern Section Division III-A Playoffs.

Naff (29) leads Costa Mesa, 64-48

Costa Mesa High’s girls basketball team, led by the 29-point

output of Rhondi Naff, racked up a 6-48 Golden West League victory

over visiting Saddleback in the regular-season finale Thursday.

Naff also had seven rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Also with major credits were Cassey Brick with 10 assists, and

defensive standout Ashley Kelly, who came off the bench and filled in

admirably for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs improved to 15-11, 7-5, as they await Sunday’s

release of the CIF Playoffs pairings.

Sage Hill towers over Oxford, 55-36

Sage Hill School’s height took over Thursday against visiting

Oxford Academy in the form of 6-foot-2 Katie Puishys and 6-1 Haywood

Wright. Wright scored a game-high 22 points while Puishys put in 20

for the victorious Lightning -- 55-36, in girls basketball action in

Newport Coast.

With the win, Sage Hill improves to 13-5, 5-5 in league.

“(Oxford) was not very big and we knew we could take advantage of

that,” said Sage Hill Coach Shanna Renkin.

Wright and Puishys were also dominant on the boards with 18 and 15

rebounds, respectively. Senior Carrie Clark, one of Renkin’s two

seniors along with Yvonne Kawamura, each played their last

regular-season home game Thursday night. Kawamura started and tallied

two points along with Vicky Gutierrez and Debbie Yoder-Lee for the

Lightning.

Sage Hill’s junior varsity girls team defeated Oxford, 31-28,

Thursday, on a buzzer-beating half-court shot by Laura Schaefer as

time ran out.