Griffins stand tall and overpower Mustangs

COSTA MESA -- What the Costa Mesa High girls basketball team lacks in

height this season requires other intangibles, such as scrappy

defense and accurate shooting, to find the successful path.

Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said nothing has come easy and the Mustangs

players could attest to that after visiting Los Alamitos used its

size and strength to outmuscle the Mustangs and earn a 50-42 victory

Saturday.

The Griffins’ starting front line averaged 5-foot-9 while the

Mustangs’ three tallest starters (Susy Trujillo, Ashley Kelly and

Bethany Vergara) were all 5-6.

Los Alamitos senior center Tealisha Riley used her 5-10 frame to

score a game-high 19 points to go with nine rebounds. She converted 9

of 13 field-goal attempts, virtually all of them within five feet of

the basket.

Junior Heather Cluff scored a career-high 12 points -- all on

three-pointers -- off the bench to lead the Mustangs. Trujillo, a

senior, tallied nine points to go with eight by Brittany Vergara.

Ashley Kelly and Brittany Vergara each had five rebounds while

Bethany Vergara made four steals. Deanna Sanchez came off the bench

to tally five assists to go with three from senior point guard Cassey

Brick.

“Different days different people get hot,” Weeks said. “We have to

fight for every little bit we can get. It is a matter of finding the

right consistency of people, playing tough defense and hitting the

key shots to pull something off. [The Griffins] took advantage of

their strength.”

Los Alamitos Coach Joe Stern expected Mesa (5-6) to zone, but

Weeks, who has coached basketball for 23 years, said he always plays

man to man.

“Tealisha down low is our bread-and-butter,” Stern said. “She got

great percentage shots and hit them.”

Mesa shot 9 of 33 from three-point range (27.2%), part of a 16 of

58 performance from the field (27.5%).

Vergara hit two three-pointers while Venise Enesi (three points),

Trujillo and Bethany Vergara (five points) each drained one trey. The

Mustangs (5-6) came into the game shooting 33% from the field and 30%

from beyond the three-point line, statistics that caused Stern some

initial concern.

“We were scared of their shooters,” Stern said. “We didn’t dare

zone them. We wanted to make them put the ball on the floor. [Lack of

height] doesn’t matter. Costa Mesa is a well-coached team.”

“With a zone there is no defensive rebounding, so it gives the big

team more of an advantage,” Weeks said. “[In a man-to-man scenario]

the guards pressure more on the outside and try to keep the ball from

getting into position. We weren’t able to stop them.”

The Mustangs burst to a 4-0 lead and held a 13-12 advantage at the

end of the first quarter, but a layup by Riley gave the Griffins

(7-6) the lead for good at 14-13 with seven minutes, 18 seconds to

play in the first half.

Mesa went 5:51 without a field goal in the second quarter as Los

Alamitos went on a 9-0 run before a Cluff three-pointer sent the

Mustangs into the half trailing, 25-18.

The Griffins outscored the Mustangs, 15-10, in the third quarter,

before Mesa staged a final push in the fourth period.

Brittany Vergara’s second of two fourth-quarter threes cut the

Griffins’ lead to 43-37 with 3:27 left, but Riley answered with a

turnaround bank shot in the key on the ensuing possession.

Trujillo rebounded a missed three and scored to cut Los Alamitos’

lead to 46-39 with 2:13 left, but the Griffins quickly moved the ball

up court and Riley answered with her final two points and the

Mustangs ran out of time.

The Griffins went 7 of 20 from the line (35%) while Mesa attempted

just six free throws, making one.

“We missed some down the stretch and that hurt us,” Weeks said.

The Mustangs begin Golden West League play when they host

Saddleback at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

*--*

Nonleague

Los Alamitos 50, Costa Mesa 42

Score by Quarters

Los Alamitos 12 13 15 10 -- 50

Costa Mesa 13 5 10 12 -- 42

Los Alamitos -- Flanagan 6, Riley 19, Howe 4,

Okimoto 5, DeGuchi 5, Goya 3, Fonte 4, Boyd

3, McDaniel 1, Cazares 0, Johnson 0. 3-pt.

goals -- Flanagan 2, Goya 1. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Costa Mesa -- Be.

Vergara 5, Trujillo 9, Kelly 0, Br. Vergara

8, Brick 0, Cluff 12, Akansel 4, Enesi 3,

Bjelland 1, Sanchez 0. 3-pt. goals -- Cluff

4, Br. Vergara 2, Enesi 1, Trujillo 1, Be.

Vergara 1. Fouled out -- Cluff. Technicals --

None.

*--*