Shaw at home with Eagles

COSTA MESA — The start to the Estancia High boys’ basketball season is nothing like the one Wes Shaw experienced last season.

The results are far more encouraging at his new school.

Five games into the season, Shaw has won two more games than he won all of last season while at Newport Harbor. Shaw said he transferred because of personal issues.

The senior is fitting right in with the Eagles. Winning every game has helped ease the transition.

Shaw has played a vital role to Estancia’s fast start and it continued Tuesday. The forward finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the Eagles’ 62-49 nonleague victory against Orange.

The Eagles improved to 5-0. The last time they won that many games in a row was during the 2004-05 season, when the program last claimed a league title.

Players like Davon Joyner are already thinking of going undefeated in Orange Coast League play. Coach Agustin Heredia isn’t being that bold this early in the season.

“We’re a work in progress,” said Heredia, whose best finish in league during his first two years as coach was second place, three games out of the top spot. “I don’t want to say we haven’t been tested, but we could play better teams. When we get to league, we’ll play better teams.”

Two of the victories during the streak have come against Orange.

Unlike the first meeting last week during the John Glenn Tournament in Norwalk, the Panthers (2-3) hung with Estancia for three quarters and the first part of the fourth.

Berry Padilla’s presence down low gave the Eagles’ problems. The forward was in foul trouble throughout, but he managed to keep the game close.

With 4:43 left to play, Orange trailed, 49-47. Once Padilla picked up his fifth personal and fouled out with 22 points and eight rebounds, the Panthers’ offense went into a funk.

Orange never scored again until the waning seconds, when the game was over.

The Eagles went on a 13-0 run. Kevin Thomas sparked it by burying a second three-pointer in the corner. When the shots failed, Estancia pounded the offensive glass, getting second and third chances to score.

Joyner recorded eight of his team-high 20 points during the stretch in which the Eagles blew the game open. The junior guard took advantage of the offensive rebounds. He finished with 10 rebounds, six on the offensive end.

Without Padilla, Orange stood no chance at stopping Estancia, which totaled 19 offensive rebounds.

Kohl Jones finished with 17 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles.

Things got so frustrating for Orange, its coach, Craig Abercrombie, received a technical foul for questioning officials. Heredia tried to help his colleague out by calling a timeout, hoping it would calm Abercrombie down. It did for a little bit.

Seeing the Eagles run away with the game didn’t help much.

“It’s a good start,” Heredia said. “Hopefully we can build some confidence and get better. By no means are we satisfied.”

Nonleague

Estancia 62, Orange 49

SCORE BY QUARTERS

O – Padilla 22. Hunt 14, Jensen 6, Arroyo 4, Jimenez 2, Friday 1.

3-pt. goals – Hunt 4, Jensen 2.

Fouled out – Padilla.

E – Joyner 20, Jones 17, Shaw 13, Thomas 6, Holmes 2, Umansky 2, Antonio 2.

3-pt. goals – Thomas 2, Shaw 2, Jones 1.