Costa Mesa girls’ basketball rallies for road win at rival Estancia

The Costa Mesa High girls’ basketball team has a first-year head coach in David Garcia, and the Mustangs picked up their biggest win under their new leader against the crosstown rival.

An impactful freshman trio combined for 28 points, as Costa Mesa defeated Estancia 44-38 on Thursday night in its Orange Coast League opener.

Myah Martinez had 13 points to lead Costa Mesa (3-7 overall). Leilani Quero added 11 points, and Emi Kamikihara chipped in with four points to cap the contributions from the Mustangs’ three freshman starters.

Garcia said he began coaching the team only a month and a half ago, but he sees a lot of potential in his team.

Estancia’s Jaydin Mclure, left, and Andrea Meza battle for a loose ball against Costa Mesa’s Myah Martinez on Thursday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

“They have a lot of heart,” Garcia said. “I’ll coach girls with heart all day and show them how to play the game, and if they listen and buy in, they’re going to be very successful, the program is going to be successful.

“Right now, my job is to groom them, and the future will be very bright. Tonight, they showed a lot of composure coming into this hostile environment, down at halftime. A bit of motivation at halftime, and they came out and did what they had to do and got more confident in the fourth quarter.”

Costa Mesa trailed 23-20 at halftime, but an 18-point third quarter saw the Mustangs take a 38-30 lead into the final frame. They hit five three-pointers in the period, including two apiece from Martinez and Salameh.

Then Quero provided a highlight-reel play, shaking her defender with a crossover dribble before knocking down the last of nine three-pointers made by the Mustangs. It gave Costa Mesa a 41-31 lead with 6:12 left, and Estancia would not scratch again until Jaydin McClure’s steal ended with a layup with 2:43 to go.

“I feel [a] defender on me, and then there’s just not a lot going through your head at the moment,” Quero said. “It’s just instinct sometimes. It worked, and then the shot went in.”

Estancia (10-6, 1-1) had found success putting pressure on the ball, especially in intercepting swing passes on the perimeter. It helped fuel a 14-point second quarter, the only period in which the Eagles produced a double-digit total.

“We started really going at it,” Genesis Navarro said, who secured three steals for Estancia. “I know I flew everywhere. I was just trying to get the ball back to my teammates.”

Andrea Meza had 12 points to lead Estancia, which advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 5A semifinals last season. McClure had nine points, seven rebounds and two steals, and Leslie Calderon had five points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Orange Coast League

Costa Mesa 44, Estancia 38

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Costa Mesa 14 – 6 – 18 – 6 – 44

Estancia 9 – 14 – 7 – 8 – 38

CM – Martinez 13, Quero 11, Salameh 9, Spallone 7, Kamikihara 4.

3-pt. goals – Salameh 3, Martinez 3, Quero 2, Spallone 1.

Fouled out – Salameh.

Technicals – None.

E – Meza 12, McClure 9, Calderon 5, Sihabouj 4, Bargas 3, Hernandez 3.

3-pt. goals – Meza 1, Calderon 1.

Fouled out – Meza.

Technicals – None.

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