Estancia boys’ basketball slowed down by Irvine in Coast Classic final

Since opening its Orange Coast League schedule with back-to-back losses, the Estancia High boys’ basketball team had taken off.

The high-flying offense of the Eagles had sent them on a six-game winning streak and into the finals of their host tournament on Friday night.

A lockdown defensive effort from Irvine spoiled the party, as the Vaqueros topped the Eagles 54-38 in the championship game of the Coast Classic at Estancia High.

Center Cooper Stearns, a sophomore, is already making his mark for Irvine (12-8). Stearns amassed 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots in the final, after which he was named tournament MVP.

With a playmaker in Stearns working in the paint, the Vaqueros found space for their shooters, and their shots dropped. Daniel Shin scored 16 points, including four made three-pointers, and Todd Bryan also netted six of his eight points from the three-point line.

“As long as our energy is good on defense and we’re keeping the game score low, then offensively, when we do start to shoot the ball like you saw today, then we’re really putting it together,” Irvine coach Harry Meussner said. “Then we’re really scary, and we can carry all four quarters.”

The Eagles delivered the first punch. Reef Johnson cleaned up an offensive rebound for the opening basket. A drop-step in the key and a three-pointer off an inbounds pass, both by Peter Sanchez, had Estancia up 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.

Irvine, though, was equal parts stingy on defense and clutch on offense. The Vaqueros went on a 15-2 run to end the first quarter. When Estancia fought back to make it a one-possession game on Johnson’s three with 30 seconds left in the first half, Shin answered from the right corner to give Irvine a 28-22 halftime lead.

“We got punched in the mouth early,” Stearns said. “In my head and other guys’ heads, we felt like we were confident we could come back from this, and [we] felt like our defense is better than that, our rebounding. Once we got up 13-9 and we went on that run on the defensive end, I think we felt like, ‘Okay, we got that spark that we knew we had from the beginning.’”

Just two weeks prior, Estancia (14-5) had opened league play with losses to Calvary Chapel and Costa Mesa, averaging 40.5 points across those two games. During its six-game winning streak, Estancia increased its offensive output to 76.7 points per game, including 85 points in consecutive games against Orange and Saddleback to even out its league record at 2-2 entering the new year.

The Eagles also notched wins over Moreno Valley Vista del Lago, Los Amigos and Santiago to reach the Coast Classic final. Estancia coach Xavier Castellano said his team had last won its own tournament in 2019.

Johnson tied Stearns for the game-high total with 18 points, converting four three-pointers for the Eagles. Sanchez added 11 points and six rebounds. Jaedon Hose-Shea, who was named to the all-tournament team, finished with eight points, eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and a block.

Castellano said his team has had some looks at Irvine, a team they could potentially see again in the CIF Southern Section Division 5AA playoffs.

“We saw them in the spring, we saw them in the fall. We know how good they are,” Castellano said. “We tried to key in on Cooper, but you got to give his teammates credit.”

Castellano also commented on his team’s overall performance in the tournament.

“We’re very happy,” he said. “Disappointed at the same time because we had a chance to hopefully win our own tournament, but the kids played hard. I can’t ask any more. It was a great effort. It’s a great group of kids that just work their tails off for us.”

Coast Classic

At Estancia High

Championship game

Irvine 54, Estancia 38

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Irvine 15 – 13 – 17 – 9 — 54

Estancia 9 – 13 – 8 – 8 — 38

I — Stearns 18, Shin 16, Bryan 8, An 5, Kim 3, Bugay 2, Raul 2.

3-pt. goals — Shin 4, Bryan 2, An 1.

Fouled out — None.

Technicals — None.

E — Johnson 18, Sanchez 11, Hose-Shea 8, De La O 1.

3-pt. goals — Johnson 4, Sanchez 1.

Fouled out — None.

Technicals — None.

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