Pinto powers Eagles’ quarterfinal win

Bryce Alderton

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson might bear the nickname, “the

Answer,” but Estancia High junior Carlos Pinto did his best Saturday

night to justify his stake to a similar sort of descriptor.

The three-year starter poured in 30 points to go with seven

rebounds in leading the Estancia boys basketball team to a 51-43

victory over Workman, the designated home team, in the quarterfinals

of the Estancia Coast Classic.

The Eagles (7-4) led from start to finish as Pinto scored the

game’s first seven points and 11 of Estancia’s 16 in the first

quarter.

“That’s the best game we’ve had all year,” Estancia first-year

coach Russell King said. “We executed everything we called

offensively and defensively, it was our best effort. We rebounded,

played the passing lanes and reversed the ball to get good shots.”

Senior Scott Sankey grabbed 12 rebounds to go with six points

while sophomore guard Mike McDaniels tallied 13 points on 5-of-8

shooting, which included three three-pointers.

Pinto drained four threes and was a threat from wherever he was on

the court.

“[Pinto] was more than we could handle. That is what a leader does

for his team,” Workman Coach Steve Danaha said. “He hit the big shot

when he had to hit it and I give their staff credit for allowing him

to get those shots and being successful.”

Workman (3-6) closed the final three minutes, 34 seconds of the

third quarter with an 11-0 run, getting within 34-33.

Then it was Pinto time.

The 2003 first-team All-Golden West League performer scored the

first seven points of the fourth quarter to give Estancia a 41-33

lead with 6:20 remaining. Pinto tallied 11 of Estancia’s final 17

points. He drove the lane for a left-handed layup, giving the Eagles

a 47-38 lead with 2:58 remaining.

The Lobos employed a full-court press in the second half in an

attempt to thwart Estancia’s attack, but King said his players

responded to the defensive scheme.

“Our zone offense stretched to flash Pinto toward the high post,

but you couldn’t stick on one guy,” King said. “You have to know

where [Pinto] is at. If a team clamps down on Carlos as he is

penetrating, you have to look for other guys to make shots. Mike

McDaniels had a great game and Hugo Escobedo fed the open guys.”

Escobedo tallied four second-half assists to go with three steals

and two points.

Senior forward Derek Fowler led the Lobos with 17 points -- 13 in

the second half -- while guard Myron Butler added 10.

A layin by Fowler with 2:55 to go in the second quarter was the

first points for either team in the period as both defenses

stiffened.

Pinto and McDaniels both made threes for the Eagles’ six

second-quarter points.

The Eagles advance to the championship semifinals for a fourth

straight season and will face Riverside Poly at 6:25 p.m. Monday.

“We’ve watched their first two [tournament] games and they execute

the half-court offense to precision,” King said. “We want to defend

our home court, which was enough of an inspiration [Saturday] to go

out and play hard and smart.”

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Estancia Coast Classic Quarterfinal

Estancia 51, Workman 43

Score by Quarters

Estancia 16 6 12 17 -- 51

Workman 9 7 17 10 -- 43

Estancia -- Pinto 30, Sankey 6, Escobedo 2,

Viramontes 0, McDaniels 13, Markley 0,

Meissner 0. 3-pt. goals -- Pinto 4, McDaniels

3. Workman -- Fowler 17, Morales 5, Butler 10,

Leon 3, Ruiz 0, Frausto 6, Vargas 4, Diaz 0.

3-pt. goals -- Frausto 2, Leon 1. Fouled out

-- Morales.

*--*