Mustangs start hot, but end cold

COSTA MESA — On offense, nothing worked in the second half for Costa Mesa High.

Coach Bryan Rice still tried to call the shots.

One of the referees cracked a smile when Rice tried to order him around.

With 31.3 seconds left in the nonleague boys’ basketball game at home against Garden Grove, Rice called a foul on one of his own players, trying to protect another in foul trouble.

“No. 24!” Rice yelled at the ref, who signaled a foul and called it on No. 23, Will LeValley, his fifth.

Out came LeValley, one of the Mustangs’ better shooters.

No one really shot the ball well for Costa Mesa Tuesday night, costing it any chance of ending a skid.

Garden Grove prevailed, 56-42, taking advantage of the Mustangs’ poor shooting to pull away late and win its fourth straight game.

Four field goals are how many Costa Mesa (5-10) made in the final two quarters.

Two in each quarter. The Argonauts (12-3) weren’t as successful themselves, but they led.

In between their first and second successful baskets in the third quarter, the Mustangs went 6:45 without a field goal.

The rut lasted for 7:03 in the fourth quarter.

In reality, the offensive woes have gone longer than that in Rice’s eyes. Try five straight games, each resulting in losses.

The walk-on coach can blame the struggles on a number of factors, playing too many games in a short period, personnel, or shot selection.

Rice, in his first year, has no control of playing five games in a seven-day span, which the Mustangs are in the process of doing.

The schedule was in place before Rice took over at his alma mater.

The team has only one returning starter.

As for the shots taken Tuesday, Rice has a big problem with the high number. The Mustangs attempted 28 three-pointers.

“We shoot too many,” Rice said.

When the three-pointers are falling, like four did in the opening quarter, giving Costa Mesa a 15-9 lead, they’re helpful.

Going three for 19 in the next three quarters proved detrimental to the team.

Rice had enough of the long-distance shots, calling a timeout with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.

Garden Grove led, 36-25, thanks to an 8-0 run coming after Costa Mesa guard Kevin Astorino early in the quarter hit a three-pointer, the last of his four to finish with 12 points.

“We haven’t scored in a very long time,” Rice told his team, which had missed 13 straight field goals. “We need to score. We need stops.”

What stopped were the three-point attempts in the Mustangs’ final possession in the third.

They decided to go inside to Andrew Albers.

The 6-foot-6 center ended Costa Mesa’s drought by hitting a shot in the paint with 11 seconds left, making it a nine-point game.

Albers opened the fourth with another basket in the paint, giving him eight points. The big man began to get comfortable, this being his fifth game back after missing the start of the season with a hernia issue.

Backup guard Brian Waldron converted a free-throw and the Mustangs trailed, 36-30. Costa Mesa fought its way back into it with starters Mikey Molina and Jeff Dye out due to being in foul trouble.

Garden Grove guard Jon Umanzor then attacked Albers, forcing him to pick up his fourth foul with 6:24 to go. Umanzor converted two of his 22 points at the free-throw line.

Shortly later, Albers left for the bench. Molina and Dye returned. With Dye’s sacrifice, taking back-to-back charges, Costa Mesa cut the lead to 42-38.

The Mustangs never got closer.

They were still without a field goal since Albers’ shot in the fourth. The Argonauts stopped fouling and sending the Mustangs to the line.

Costa Mesa stood no chance in ending its losing streak. The Mustangs have two more tries this week, starting today in a nonleague game at Wilson of Hacienda Heights and Friday at home in the Orange Coast League opener against crosstown rival Estancia.

“It’s a tough week for us,” said Rice before being informed about last season, when Costa Mesa went 1-26, the worst season in the program’s history. “We still got to win a league game. They got a league game last year.”

It won’t happen if the Mustangs can’t make shots.

Nonleague

Garden Grove 56, Costa Mesa 42

SCORE BY QUARTERS

GG – Umanzor 22, Pierce 12, Young 9, Stevens 4, Webb 3, Schulz 3, Velasquez 2, Montenegro 1.

3-pt. goals – Pierce 1.

Fouled out – Young.

Technicals – Young.

CM – Astorino 12, Molina 9, Albers 8, Lefebvre 6, Waldron 4, LeValley 3.

3-pt. goals – Astorino 4, Molina 1, Waldron 1, LeValley 1.

Fouled out – LeValley.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.