Mustangs move to quarters

COSTA MESA — Costa Mesa High girls’ basketball coach Jim Weeks has hinted this may be his final season with the Mustangs. If it is, he is making sure to leave no emotion left unspent.

Weeks shouted, stomped, pleaded and prodded his players through the first 20 minutes of their CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA second-round playoff game against visiting La Quinta of Westminster Saturday night.

The Mustangs finally got the message in time to rally for a 65-56 win that puts them into Wednesday’s 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal at Fairmont Prep (16-11), a 48-47 winner over St. Matthias Saturday.

It’s the first quarterfinal appearance for No. 3-seeded Costa Mesa (18-10) since 2001, but the Mustangs’ postseason run was nearly halted by the fired-up Aztecs, who had not gotten to the second round of the playoffs since 1988, Coach Ronda Gondringer said.

Trailing, 33-29, with 5:29 left in the third quarter, Costa Mesa used a 16-3 spurt to take command.

Senior Nikki Brannon began the run with two free throws and she contributed a three-point play during the spurt. But it was the 5-foot-8 forward’s defense that was most critical to the Mesa stampede that lasted just more than four minutes.

Brannon made three steals on three successive La Quinta possessions, which led to three baskets, the latter two by Michelle Figueroa, that knocked the Aztecs off their upset plans.

Figueroa was fouled while converting a layup with 1:13 left in the third quarter and, with frustration obviously peaking, an Aztecs player slammed the ball down, prompting a technical foul.

Costa Mesa added one technical free throw to go up, 45-36, and La Quinta (12-12) never got closer than three the rest of the way.

Brannon finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four assists in what Weeks said was one of her best games in a long while. She made four of eight field-goal attempts.

Courtney, whose strength and aggressiveness make her an inside force, despite being only 5-7, amassed 16 points, 18 rebounds (13 offensive) and eight steals. She was eight of 13 from the field, including six of six after intermission.

Figueroa, who was seven for 14 from the field, finished with 16 points.

The Brannon, Courtney, Figueroa trio was critical, as was 12 points from junior Kathy Trinh.

The Mustangs, who had 11 three-pointers in their 81-19 first-round win over Redlands Adventist Academy, missed their first 14 three-point attempts Saturday. They finished one for 15 from beyond the arc.

But the Mustangs chased, tipped, and tugged to gain possession of most of the game’s missed shots, earning a 48-31 edge in rebounds.

The Mustangs also helped force 29 turnovers by the Aztecs, who were hampered by foul trouble to 5-11 junior center Yesenia Gomez, who missed 16 minutes of action due to fouls.

Gomez came in averaging 16.9 points per game and had 10 of the Aztecs’ 14 first-quarter points. She finished with 16 on seven-of-eight shooting.

CIF Southern Section

Division IV-AA Playoffs

Second round

Costa Mesa 65, La Quinta 56

Score by Quarters

La Quinta 14 12 15 15 — 56 Costa Mesa 10 14 21 20 — 65

La Quinta -- Montalvo 5, A. Nguyen 9, Gomez 16, Quan 13, S. Nguyen 7, Ellingwood 6.

3-pt. goals -- Quan 3, Ellingwood 2, S. Nguyen 1.

Technicals -- Ellingwood 1.

Costa Mesa -- Figueroa 16, Trinh 12, Werdel 4, Langmos 3, Courtney 16, Brannon 12, Malapira 2.

3-pt. goals -- Langmos 1.

Fouled out -- Malapira.