Loper sparks Sage Hill again with 28 points

Senior Matt Loper tied his career high with 28 points and the Sage

Hill School boys basketball team used two scoring runs to distance

themselves and eventually defeat nonleague visitor Rio Contiguo,

54-43, Thursday night.

Loper, who set his career high in the season opener Tuesday night

with 28 points in a 61-30 win over Orangewood Academy, grabbed seven

rebounds and added three assists against the Eagles (0-1) Thursday.

Jordan Ogron tallied eight points while freshman Nick Witte added

seven points and seven assists for Sage (2-0), which closed the first

half with an 8-0 run to take a 31-19 lead into intermission.

*--*

Nonleague

Sage Hill 54, Rio Contiguo 43

Score by Quarters

Rio 8 11 16 8 -- 43

Sage 11 20 12 11 -- 54

Rio -- Chrisganer 2, Garcia 25, McConnell 2,

Evans 2, Ruiz 2, Elias 10, Maldonado 0, Zavala 0, Caron 0, Reno 0. 3-pt. goals --

Garcia 5, Elias 2. Sage -- Ogron 8, Witte 7,

Loper 28, Voge 4, Samel 4, Hancock 2, Rose 1,

Webster 0, Morgan 0. 3-pt. goals -- Ogron 2,

Witte 1, Loper 1.

*--*

Sailors handle Barons

* SOCCER: The Newport Harbor High girls soccer team earned its

second straight win over a Sunset League squad, topping host Fountain

Valley, 3-1, in a nonleague contest Thursday.

The Sailors (2-0), who knocked off Edison, 2-0, Tuesday, took a

3-0 lead Thursday on goals by Krystal Wright, Amy Klippert and Emily

Ohlaver. Wright also had an assist for the winners, who meet El Toro

Monday at Harper Community Center.

Mustangs win second

* BASKETBALL: The Costa Mesa High girls basketball team defeated

host Rancho Alamitos, 53-43, Thursday in a nonleague game to remain

unbeaten at 2-0.

The Mustangs play Schurr in the Fountain Valley tournament at 7:30

p.m. Monday.

*--*

Nonleague

Costa Mesa 53, Rancho Alamitos 43

Score by Quarters

Costa Mesa 8 16 18 11 -- 53

Rancho 6 12 13 12 -- 43

Mesa -- Bjelland 20, Cluff 10, Courtney 4,

Enesi 5, Sanchez 11, Vergara 3, Akansel 0,

Evans 0. 3-pt. goals -- Bjelland 1, Vergara 1.

Fouled out -- Vergara. Rancho Alamitos --

Chappalle 1, Almaroz 7, Hanra 5, Whitney 22,

Ramos 2, Resedez 2, Dunn 2, Bassett 2. 3-pt.

goals -- Almaroz 1, Whitney 1.

*--*

OCC tops Bakersfield

* BASKETBALL: The Orange Coast College women’s basketball team

sank a season-high 12 three-pointers to key a 77-57 win over

Bakersfield in the first round of the Cuesta tournament Thursday. The

victory advances the Pirates (4-3) into a semifinal tonight at 6

against Citrus. OCC sophomore Rhondi Naff, a Costa Mesa High product,

scored 15 points.

Mesa splits games

* WATER POLO: The Costa Mesa High girls water polo team defeated

Valhalla, 12-4, in its first game in the Benson Cup tournament, and

lost its second to Esperanza, 8-6, Thursday at Esperanza High.

Sarah Bowman had a game-high nine goals against Valhalla and led

Mesa (2-1) with three goals in the loss to Esperanza.

Dana Hills sinks CdM

* SOCCER: Corona del Mar High’s girls soccer team lost a nonleague

game to visiting Dana Hills, 3-1, Thursday.

Dana Hills (1-0-1) took a 2-0 lead at the half and scored quickly

to open the second half. Jessica Mazura scored from eight yards out

for CdM (0-2), a play set up when Kelly Morgan crossed the ball to

Taylor Fallon, who had her shot deflected toward Mazura.