Eagles fall short with belated rally

Barry Faulkner

An early 10-7 lead disappeared first, then the comfort zone with

which the Estancia High boys basketball team had been playing in

recent weeks. Finally, the Eagles’ nine-game winning streak slipped

away as Trabuco Hills claimed a 58-54 semifinal win in the Estancia

Coast Classic Saturday night on the Eagles’ floor.

Though the winning skein and the chance to play for the tournament

title fell away, the Eagles, by virtue of a valiant rally that cut a

19-point deficit late in the third quarter to a 54-52 disadvantage

with 37 seconds left, may have rediscovered the competitive level

they’ll need in Monday’s third-place game and beyond.

“I told our guys this was our last easy game,” Estancia Coach

Chris Sorce said. “We’ll play the best team we’ve played this year

Monday (Edison, coached by former Estancia head man Rich Boyce, at

6:25 p.m.), then every game is tough in league. But it’s games like

this that get you ready for league. I was happier with our effort

tonight than I was in (Friday’s) win over Anaheim (in which they saw

a 31-point fourth-quarter lead whittled to 11 by game’s end).”

It was the Eagles (10-2) who did the whittling Saturday, after a

16-0 Trabuco run turned a 10-7 Estancia lead into a 23-10 cushion for

the Mustangs (9-5).

Trabuco, the designated home team, methodically built the lead to

42-23 with 1:15 left in the third period, before Estancia found its

fire.

“I don’t know what we were afraid of,” Sorce said of the tentative

play against a physical and active Trabuco Hills man-to-man

defense.”We were very rushed and that’s not us. Our kids could have

hung their heads, but they didn’t. They pecked away and pecked away

and made a valiant comeback. We proved we can play with quality

teams.”

A Carlos Pinto three-pointer and two Joey Lindquist free throws

pulled the Eagles within 45-31 at the end of the third quarter. Then,

after Trabuco opened the final period with a bucket, a 10-0 Estancia

run that included a three-pointer by Matt Cachola and a three-point

play by Zack Novak, got the Eagles within 47-41.

Trabuco converted in the post, then got back-to-back layups off

steals to take some wind out of the vocal Estancia crowd. But the

Eagles weren’t finished yet.

Pinto’s three-point play after an offensive rebound started an

11-1 Eagle run that culminated with a Cachola three-pointer from 24

feet out to make it 54-52.

After Estancia got a hand on two consecutive inbound passes, the

Eagles were forced to foul and Trabuco netted 4 of 7 from the line in

the final 29 seconds to advance to Monday’s 8 p.m. title game.

Cachola, the Eagles’ senior point guard who finished with a

team-high 16 points, matching his career best, was a comeback

catalyst. Lindquist and Pinto also provided offensive punch.

Lindquist, weakened by illness, Sorce said, had nine of his 15

points after halftime and collected a game-high 12 rebounds, before

fouling out with 47 seconds left.

Pinto finished with 13 points and five rebounds, cashing in some

of Cachola’s seven assists, most of which he created by penetrating

to break down the defense.

“I think (Cachola) sensed we needed someone to step up and he

filled that role for us,” Sorce said.

Brian White, a 6-foot-6 senior who starred at quarterback in the

fall, had half of his 14 points in the final quarter to lead the

winners. Matt Borland, another 6-6 senior, added 10 points, including

two first-quarter three-pointers that helped the Mustangs pull away.

Scott Sankey had eight rebounds for the Eagles, who hit 8 of 15

field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter to finish 19 of 48 (39.6%).

Trabuco shot just 39.3% (22 of 56), but committed just 10

turnovers to the Eagles’ 15.