Monsoons storm Estancia for tourney title

Bryce Alderton

Mayfair High’s boys basketball coach Monty Owens had one goal in mind

heading into Tuesday’s championship of the 19th annual Estancia Coast

Classic against the host Eagles and that was to contain junior

forward Carlos Pinto.

Well, Pinto still scored 20 points to lead the Eagles, but the

Monsoons soared and shot their way to a 70-48 victory over Estancia,

the designated home team, to capture the tournament title.

Senior Andre Hollis scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the

first half, including four consecutive three-pointers, as Mayfair

(10-2) never trailed after taking a 9-0 lead two minutes, 14 seconds

into the contest.

“[Mayfair] is a pick-your-poison type of team,” Estancia Coach

Russell King said. “They have the three-point shot and their guards

create opportunities making it tough to defend.”

Senior guard Patrick Christopher had 16 points to go with three

steals while senior forward Duane Wright scored six points -- two

coming on a two-handed dunk -- and grabbed 11 rebounds.

“They got second and third opportunities and it’s a credit to

them,” King said.

Senior forward Scott Sankey scored 12 points to go with eight

rebounds (seven in the first half) and six assists, while guards Hugo

Escobedo and Jose Viramontes each tallied six points apiece for the

Eagles (8-5), who trailed 38-34 with 5:40 left in the third quarter,

before the Monsoons scored the next eight points to build the lead

back to 12. The closest Estancia would get after that was 49-41 when

Pinto rebounded his own miss with 47 seconds to go in the third

quarter.

The Monsoons held Pinto, a first-team All-Golden West League

performer as a sophomore, to 15 shots -- he made seven -- and

routinely double-teamed him whenever he had the ball.

“We designated two guys to run a double team on [Pinto] to get the

ball out of his hands,” Owens said of the defensive strategy. “We

know he does a lot for them.”

King thought the Eagles did a good job getting open so Pinto could

have a man to pass to.

“We moved Carlos into the low post since they were doubling him,

thinking he could penetrate and give up the ball,” King said. “We

looked to pass ahead for a jump shot or a layup.”

Sankey dialed in from long distance, hitting a two-pointer with

his feet touching the three-point line in the first quarter while

knocking down a three ball at the top of the key to pull the Eagles

within 33-29 early in third quarter.

“That fired him up,” King said with a smile. “He was in a rhythm

and the adrenaline was pumping.”

Mike McDaniels and Shaun Markley added two points apiece for the

Eagles, who were outscored 37-23 in the second half.

Sankey and Pinto earned all-tournament honors along with Wright

and Christopher from Mayfair. Hollis was named the tournament’s Most

Valuable Player.

“The first one felt good and I just kept letting them go,” Hollis

said of his four straight threes in the first half.

*--*

Estancia Coast Classic Championship game

Mayfair 70, Estancia 48

Score by Quarters

Mayfair 20 13 22 15 -- 70

Estancia 15 10 16 7 -- 48

Mayfair -- Wright 6, Hollis 22, Allen 11,

Christopher 16, Grant 3, Stewart 6, Taylor 4,

Robinson 2. 3-pt. goals -- Hollis 4,

Christopher 2, Grant 1. Estancia -- Pinto 20,

McDaniels 2, Sankey 12, Viramontes 6,

Escobedo 6, Markley 2, Meissner 0, Verette 0,

Kopp 0, Salas 0, Young 0. 3-pt. goals --

Pinto 3, Escobedo 1, Sankey 1.

*--*