Mesa’s magic number yields another win

Patrick Laverty

For the first time in Coach Bob Serven’s five seasons, the Costa Mesa

High boys basketball team has won three consecutive games to open the

season.

The Mustangs accomplished the feat Thursday with a 55-39 victory

over St. Paul in the second game of pool play at the Valley Christian

tournament. With a victory over Whitney at 6:30 p.m. tonight, the

Mustangs will reach Saturday’s championship game.

“We’re nowhere near where we need to be or want to be,” Serven

said of his team’s fast start. “But we’re on our way to getting

there.”

All three victories for Costa Mesa have been marked by a stingy

defense that hasn’t allowed 40 points in a game this season. The

Mustangs prevented St. Paul from hitting that mark by forcing seven

turnovers in the second quarter, limiting the Swordsmen to six

points, and six turnovers in the final period, when St. Paul scored

just nine points.

“If we can hold teams to 40 or less, we should be able to win a

lot of games,” Serven said. “But I don’t know if we’ll be able to do

that all the time.”

If they can’t, it shouldn’t be too big of a concern since the

Mustangs haven’t had a problem scoring points so far this season,

averaging nearly 58 a game.

Costa Mesa scored 20 in the first quarter against St. Paul,

closing the period with a 12-1 run over the final 3:03 of the period,

which was capped with Brian Molina’s three-pointer as time ran out.

The Mustangs continued to build upon their lead in the second

quarter in a variety of ways.

Sophomore Scott Knox scored a layup off a backdoor cut. Sophomore

Tony Krikorian made a driving layup less than minute later. Knox, who

led Mesa with 15 points, knocked down a three-pointer. Junior Jeff

Waldron, who led the team with 15 rebounds, hit a pair of free

throws. Junior Duaine Wase came off the bench to score off another

backdoor cut, giving the Mustangs a 31-16 lead.

After halftime, Costa Mesa maintained its double-digit lead, with

6-foot-5 senior Marko Stankovic scoring six of the team’s 11

third-quarter points. Stankovic finished with 13 points and five

rebounds.

“That’s one of Marko’s better games,” Serven said. “He handled the

physicality of the game.”

With a small team -- Molina is 5-5 and Krikorian is 5-7, while

Knox is 6-foot -- Serven was impressed with how the entire team

handled a physical team like St. Paul. The Mustangs’ ability to do so

showed on the scoreboard.

The Swordsmen, which defeated Whitney, 48-41, in the opening round

of pool play, closed the gap to 42-30 with six straight points at the

end of the third quarter. Molina, who finished with 10 points, opened

the fourth quarter, though, with a steal and layup and an ensuing

three-pointer to push the lead back to 17.

Despite the result, Mesa’s coach knows his team has a long way to

go before it reaches its peak.

“I’m our team’s harshest critic,” Serven said. “We need to prepare

for down the road. We’re not looking at one game thinking one game

will make your season. We’re trying to build and get better.”

*--*

Valley Christian tournament Pool play

Costa Mesa 55, St. Paul 39

Score by Quarters

St. Paul 10 6 14 9 -- 39

Mesa 20 11 11 13 -- 55

St. Paul -- Fitzgerald 2, Aranda 0, Gonzalez

5, Reynoso 4, Martus 5, Alvarez 4, Sanchez 1,

Velasquez 16, Elich 0, Lopez 2, Castillo 0.

3-pt. goals -- None. Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None. Mesa -- Molina 10, Knox

15, Wase 2, Krikorian 7, Aleson 2, Lefebvre

0, Waldron 6, Stankovic 13. 3-pt. goals --

Molina 2, Knox 3, Krikorian 1. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None.

*--*