Mesa exacts revenge

COSTA MESA — Huffing and puffing, some coughing, too. That’s what Larry Puente heard from the man responsible for burying Costa Mesa High the last time out.

Senior Caleb Burgess returned to Calvary Chapel after being out two days, with what he thought was mononucleosis.

Burgess, fatigued, wasn’t sure how much he’d hold up in an Orange Coast League showdown. Puente made sure Burgess wouldn’t be heard from in the fourth quarter.

Puente had to as Coach Jeff McDaniel dubbed Friday’s game as do-or-die regarding any hope of Costa Mesa claiming a league title. Puente stood tall at the end, while Burgess tried catching his wind.

Plenty of time to recover after seeing Puente’s second-half surge continue when it counted.

Puente scored 15 of his 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks to lead the Mustangs to a 56-49 home victory.

“He looked kind of exhausted out there,” Puente said of Burgess, who scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Calvary Chapel’s 54-44 victory over Costa Mesa on Jan. 16, the team’s first game of the three-game series. “I was trying to keep him contained, [and] not really worry about him scoring.”

After the 6-foot-5 Burgess put up a hard-earned 12 points through three quarters, Puente locked him up.

Costa Mesa figured with Burgess out of gas it was time run the rest of his teammates off the court to tie Calvary Chapel for second place in league at 3-2.

The Mustangs (14-8), ranked No. 14 in CIF Southern Section Division III-A, took off in the fourth, speeding past Calvary Chapel (14-8).

First they needed shooting guard Moses Titus to snap out of a three-point funk. He did, draining a three-pointer 12 seconds into the quarter to give the Mustangs the biggest lead of the game, 44-39.

“It felt really good,” said Titus after making a three-pointer after seven attempts. “I was kind of feeling down for a little, but I just hear from the sideline, ‘Keep shooting! Keep shooting!’ I was like all right.”

Titus didn’t shoot again, but he contributed in many ways to Costa Mesa’s 12-5 run to start the fourth. A rebound here, a steal there, and an assist up in the air.

The highlight of the night came on a lob from Titus behind the three-point line to the high-flying 6-4 Puente. He took care of the rest, laying it in traffic.

“Whenever I point in the air to him, that means throw it up,” said Puente, referring to Titus, who finished with five points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. “He knows I’ll go get it.”

Puente also showed he could deliver from the three-point area, where Costa Mesa struggled (six for 25). The senior’s three came after teammates swung the ball around to the open man.

Guard Hung Duong was open, but unselfishly flipped a pass to his left, where Puente was alone. He drained it as the Mustangs increased their advantage, 53-44, with 4:07 to play.

“A solid team effort,” said McDaniel, referring to seeing point guard Hao Nguyen finish with 14 points and Duong with 13 points. “Puente played awesome, both ends of the floor.

“If we didn’t win [Friday], we had no chance [for league].”

Now the Mustangs and Calvary Chapel trail Laguna Beach (4-1 league) by one game, with four league games remaining.

Orange Coast League

Costa Mesa 56,

Calvary Chapel 49

Score by Quarters

Calvary

10

15

14

10

—

49

Costa Mesa

9

16

16

15

—

56

Calvary Chapel -- Burgess 12, Sherman 11, De Luca 8, Morphis 7, Goodfriend 4, Trodahl 3, Steinhaus 2.

3-pt. goals -- De Luca 1, Burgess 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Costa Mesa -- Puente 19, Nguyen 14, Duong 13, Titus 5, Waldron 3, Weber 2.

3-pt. goals -- Duong 3, Nguyen 1, Puente 1, Titus 1.