Girls basketball: Estancia cleans house in fourth quarter

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The good news came for the Estancia High girls

basketball team during the junior varsity game Wednesday. And the better

news came in the fourth quarter of the varsity game.

Estancia freshman Trisha Wase’s intradistrict transfer from Costa Mesa

cleared just minutes before the Eagles took the floor against Cathedral

City.

Wase (pronounced wah-seh) came off the bench and led Estancia with 11

points, eight in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer with 1:43

remaining that gave the Eagles a 40-35 lead.

Xochitl (pronounced Soh-chee) Byfield hit an outside shot with two

seconds remaining on the shot clock and 44 seconds left in regulation to

seal the deal on a 44-35 season-opening victory over visiting Cathedral

City.

Nancy Ferda, the Estancia girls athletic director, delivered the news

about Wase to Eagles Coach Paul Kirby.

After enduring the Lions’ half-court trapping defense through three

quarters, Estancia turned it on in the fourth quarter. With 1:43

remaining, Wase took a pass from Zuyin Barrera and sank a three-pointer

from the corner near the Eagles’ bench.

“If I’m open I’ll just take the shot,” said Wase who hit three

three-pointers, grabbed six rebounds and snagged three steals. She said

she was not afraid to take the shot and that she thrives in the fourth

quarter.

In that fourth quarter, the Eagles outscored Cathedral City 19-5.

Estancia grabbed the lead, 35-33, after Lisa Hirata hit two free throws.

It was the Eagles’ first lead early in the second quarter. In fact, the

Lions led by as many as 10 points with 1:41 left in the third quarter.

“I wasn’t sure we were going to pull that one out,” Kirby said. “We

weren’t ready for that half-court trap. I didn’t think we played as well

as we could have.”

Cathedral City’s defense led to 15 Estancia turnovers in the first

half. But, the Eagles began to beat the Lions, especially in the fourth

quarter.

The Lions’ aggressive defense actually was their demise as Estancia

shot free throws in the double bonus with four minutes remaining in the

game. Byfield, who scored nine points, took advantage of her free throws

as she went 7 for 8 from the foul line and hit her only field goal of the

night when she sealed the game.

NONLEAGUE

Estancia 44, Cathedral City 35

Cathedral City 4 13 13 5 - 35 Estancia 7 5 13 19 - 44

Cathedral City - Boone 14, Davies 7, Hodge 6, Dorsey 6, Underwood 2.

3-pt. goals - Hodge 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Estancia - Wase 11, Byfield 9, Barrera 9, Hirata 5, Gray 4, Cassity 2,

Orellana 2, Matsufuji 2, Rodriguez 0, Cachola 0, Vasquez 0, Johnson 0.

3-pt. goals - Wase 3, Hirata 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.