Estancia makes a run

Barry Faulkner

It took more than 21 minutes Friday night, but the Estancia High boys

basketball team reached, then, briefly remained atop the summit

established by the team that has won the last six Golden West League

championships.

But visiting Ocean View (25-3, 12-0 in league), ranked No. 2 in

CIF Southern Section Division III-A and No. 3 in Orange County,

quickly tugged at the Eagles’ rope. Then, over just more than the

final nine minutes, Estancia found itself submerged under a 33-point

cascade from the Seahawks, who posted a 62-50 triumph to extend their

winning streak to 15, heading into next week’s CIF Playoffs.

“It’s hard to keep their big guns down for four quarters,” said

Estancia Coach Chris Sorce, whose undermanned squad trudged uphill

from the start to take a 29-28 lead with 2:45 left in the third

quarter.

Senior center Joey Lindquist’s layin, on a feed from senior point

guard Matt Cachola, capped an 8-0 run that gave Estancia its only

lead. The run began when the 6-foot-8 Lindquist converted a

three-point play. Cachola added a 15-foot jumper to draw within 28-27

and Lindquist put the hosts over the top, where they lingered for a

prescious 96 seconds.

But Ocean View junior Greg Okwudibonye scored underneath and

junior guard Matt Sargeant followed with a three-pointer to up the

advantage to 33-29.

Estancia’s Carlos Pinto netted a three-pointer with 11 seconds

left in the third period, but Sargeant, whom Sorce believes will be

the league MVP, slashed inside for a layup that just beat the buzzer

for a 36-32 Ocean View lead.

The two teams traded scores the first three minutes of the fourth

quarter, but Sargeant and senior Casey Ortiz finally made

back-to-back buckets for the visitors. And, despite Estancia

three-pointers by Zack Novak and Tyler Hoffman in the closing

minutes, the Seahawks, who have won 17 of their last 18, pulled away

to complete a perfect league campaign.

Sargeant scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the final 9:35

and Okwudibonye finished with 16.

Estancia, playing without junior starting forward Jordan Stroman

(concussion) and junior reserve forward Scott Sankey (illness), saw

its thin rotation further depleted when senior Erik Andersen picked

up four first-half fouls.

Still, with Lindquist battling inside for 12 points and 15 rebounds, Pinto adding his consistent offensive punch (15 points) and

Novak popping for 12 of his team-high 16 points in the final two

periods, the Eagles (16-10, 6-6) made the Seahawks earn it.

“Our guys did a nice job, defensively, for three-plus quarters,”

Sorce said. “I think we just ran out of gas and (the Seahawks’)

experience of success helped get them over the top. I don’t think we

lost the game as much as they won it.”

Sorce said competing against a program that has won 12 league

titles in Coach Jim Harris’ 25 seasons at the helm (he is sharing the

head coaching title this year with his son, Jimmy) is the best way to

prepare for the postseason.

“Ocean View is a good team at both ends of the floor,” Sorce said.

“It’s the No. 2 team in our division, so we can’t be far off from

whoever we meet in the playoffs.”

Novak had three three-pointers and added five rebounds, while

Cachola contributed nine assists, five boards and four points.

Ocean View’s pressure man-to-man helped it earn a 19-11 edge in

turnovers, but Estancia’s defense was pesky enough to hold the

Seahawks to just 29.4% shooting from the field (15 of 51) through

three periods.

The visitors, however, sank 10 of 12 field-goal tries in the final

quarter and netted 5 of 6 foul shots in the final 3:03.

Estancia, just 7 of 22 from the field before halftime (31.5%),

converted half of its 24 second-half field-goal tries. But it wasn’t

enough as the Eagles fell to fourth place, behind Santa Ana, which

knocked off second-place Orange, 67-53, Friday. The top four teams in

the seven-team Golden West League earn guaranteed CIF berths.

Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday.