Boys’ Basketball: CMHS wins, but Bell goes to Estancia
While half of the six high school boys’ basketball teams in the Orange Coast League went into Friday in contention for a league title, Costa Mesa and Estancia played for the Costa Mesa city championship.
The winner of the cross-town rivalry between the Mustangs and Eagles also earned a dinner at a rib eatery in town. Both of their seasons have been as sloppy as eating ribs.
At least one team got a free dinner out of it.
Costa Mesa is used to dinning at Newport Rib Co. after winning the Battle for the Bell series against Estancia. The Mustangs didn’t get to eat ribs for a fourth straight season, even though they edged the Eagles, 52-48, at home.
The archrivals split the two-game series, but Estancia won its contest by a larger margin, 54-42, in mid-January, thus giving it the Bell trophy. The Eagles rung it at midcourt, but they missed an opportunity to remain in fourth place all alone.
The Eagles (8-15, 2-6 in league) now find themselves sharing fourth in league with Costa Mesa (9-15, 2-6). Each program has two games left in league next week, and they’re trying to reach double-digit wins in an effort to increase their chances of qualifying for the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs as at-large teams. The three automatic postseason berths in league are out of reach for Costa Mesa and Estancia, as Godinez, Laguna Beach and Calvary Chapel have wrapped them up. Godinez improved to 8-0 in league and clinched at least a share of the league title, while Laguna Beach is in second at 6-2, followed by Calvary Chapel at 5-3.
“We want to make playoffs,” Estancia Coach Xavier Castellano said of his alma mater, which last missed the playoffs eight seasons ago. “No offense to the Bell, but I’d rather make playoffs than [win] the Bell. That loss is going to affect us.
“We had that game. We had that game.”
Castellano’s team appeared to have the momentum late. The Eagles took a 48-43 lead with 2:58 to go.
Evan Pettingill had drained his third three-pointer, giving him 10 points. The rest of the way, Estancia failed to score, and the Mustangs roared back, scoring the final nine points to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Nabeel Salameh led the comeback, recording six of the nine points down the stretch. The junior forward knocked down a three and hit three of four three throws, finishing with 21 points.
But the Mustangs’ biggest points came on Calvin Ko’s three-point play with 61 seconds left, putting Costa Mesa up, 50-48. Ko, who has been sick all week, attacked the basket, and was somehow able to convert a layup while Kaena McReynolds hammered the junior guard. The foul was McReynolds’ fifth and he fouled out after a 13-point and five-rebound effort.
Ko converted the free throw, putting him at 14 points, to go along with eight rebounds and four steals. Now it was Estancia’s turn to respond. As he had for most of the evening, Chad Barris, who finished with 10 points, six steals and five rebounds, tried to rally the Eagles.
The senior point guard wore a different jersey, the No. 33, in honor of another senior, Gunnar Johnston, the team’s leading scorer. Johnston missed the game because he broke his left ankle earlier in the week. With Johnston out, Barris, Connor Brown (15 points on six-for-eight shooting and 15 rebounds), McReynolds and Pettingill picked up their games on offense.
With 45 seconds remaining, Barris penetrated the lane, but he missed a possible game-tying layup. The Mustangs got the rebound and called a timeout with 30 seconds left on the clock and 19 seconds left on the shot clock. Ko wound up taking a three-pointer at the seven-second mark, and Chris Calderon grabbed the offensive rebound, before passing the ball out to Salameh. The Eagles fouled Salameh, and with 2.6 seconds left, he made both free throws to seal the win.
“Obviously we always want the Bell,” Salameh said, “but if we make the playoffs and they don’t, it would mean more to us.”
Castellano and Costa Mesa Coach Mike Molina said they plan to petition the section to make the postseason. Their respective programs are playing to extend their season past next week, when the Mustangs travel to Calvary Chapel on Tuesday and Saddleback on Thursday, while Estancia closes out league at Saddleback on Tuesday and at home against Godinez on Thursday. The Eagles also play host to Santa Ana in a nonleague game on Friday.
Locking up fourth in league can only bode well for Costa Mesa and Estancia’s prospects of receiving an at-large entry into the playoffs.
“I think if we can get 10 wins, we have a chance,” Castellano said. “If we finish with eight [wins], no way.”
—
Orange Coast League
Costa Mesa 52, Estancia 48
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Estancia 14 – 3 – 18 – 13 — 48
Costa Mesa 15 – 13 – 9 – 15 — 52
E – Brown 15, McReynolds 13, Barris 10, Pettingill 10.
3-pt. goals – Pettingill 3, McReynolds 3, Brown 2.
Fouled out – McReynolds.
Technicals – Brown, Pettingill.
CM – Salameh 21, Ko 14, Tufuga 9, Calderon 8.
3-pt. goals – Salameh 3, Calderon 2.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.