Boys basketball: Eagles ring the bell

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - With apologies to Dan Patrick, Jon Cantrell was en

fuego.

His Estancia High’s boys basketball team faced a tenuous deficit ever

since the second quarter against cross-town and Pacific Coast League

rival Costa Mesa on Friday. But Cantrell drained five three-pointers and

scored 19 points in the second half to carry his Eagles to an emotional

66-55 win over the Mustangs at a packed Estancia gym.

Estancia avenged this year’s 58-50 loss to Mesa, ranked No. 7 in CIF

Southern Section Division III-AA. And by winning the combined point

deferential, the Eagles won the inaugural Bell Trophy, just like the Lady

Bell awarded to the winner of the girls basketball rivalry.

“This one was big,” Cantrell said. “We won the bell, we won at home, we

won against Mesa, and we got a league win. We accomplished all of them.”

Estancia (14-5, 2-3 in league) got its vindication against the Mustangs,

who broke a 30-game losing streak to Estancia this year, and Cantrell got

his personal vindication.

For six quarters, Mesa (17-6, 3-2) put the sharp-shooter under ice with a

suffocating box-and-one defense. Cantrell was held to 12 points in his last game against the Mustangs, and only had four in the first half.

Mesa’s Dave Weir, who was the primary defender on Cantrell, blocked his

first shot to set the tone.

With Cantrell shut down, Estancia relied on Darshaun Garner and Travis

Chandler to carry the offensive load. Garner scored 10 of his 18 points

in that half. Chandler scored six points in the first quarter to give

Estancia a 16-9 lead after one quarter. He finished with 10 points.

Mesa’s offense then revved up, and scored 21 points in the second behind

four three-pointers, two from Weir and one from Rick Hatsushi and Ryan

Naff.

The game turned for Estancia and Cantrell, who launched shots despite

Weir and Steve Whittaker’s tight defense. His fourth three of the game

with 1:39 left in the third quarter put the Eagles up, 44-43.

“Jon was getting frustrated,” Boyce said. “Weir and Whittaker were doing

a good job on him. He just worked really hard to get his shot on the

floor.”

His fifth three-pointer gave Estancia a 51-50 lead. Then, Estancia’s

Eliasar Maldonado hit two threes of his own, and Cantrell hit his sixth

and last three to pout Estancia up, 60-52, with 5:11 left.

Estancia’s seven threes in the second half staggered Mesa, who collapsed

as Estancia’s momentum snowballed, and the Eagles outscored Mesa, 20-7,

in the fourth.

Costa Mesa falls out of a three-way tie for first in the PCL, and is one

game behind league leader University.

While Estancia now gives itself a chance at the PCL title with a 2-3

league record, but there are more pressing things.

“We have a chance,” Cantrell said, “but we have to take it one game at a

time. Right now, we’re just enjoying this win.”

And with that, he went off to join his teammate to ring the bell loudly

for all of Costa Mesa to hear.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Estancia 66, Costa Mesa 55

Score by Quarters

Costa Mesa 9 21 18 7 - 55 Estancia 16 13 17 20 - 66

Costa Mesa - Weir 16, Naff 13, Jones 13, Ferryman 6, Hatsushi 3,

Whittaker 2, Payne 2, Conte 0, Krikorian 0, Knox 0, Adebrado 0.

3-pt. goals - Weir 4, Hatsushi 1, Naff 1, Jones 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Estancia - Cantrell 23, Garner 18, Chandler 10, Simco 5, Rodriguez 2,

Aguilar 0, Maldonado 8, Jiminez 0.

3-pt. goals - Cantrell 6, Maldonado 2, Simco 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.