Girls basketball: Estancia tops Newport, 49-30

Richard Dunn

IRVINE - With junior standout Xochitl Byfield icing a sore right

ankle most of the first half for Estancia High’s girls basketball team

Thursday, the Eagles lost an impact player against Newport-Mesa District

rival Newport Harbor in the 13th place semifinals of the South Coast

Holiday Classic at University High.

But filling in nicely underneath and providing Coach Paul Kirby’s

Eagles with scoring punch was 5-foot-9 junior Tisha Gray, whose 20 points

and seven rebounds led the Eagles to a 49-30 victory.

“(Gray) played well,” said Kirby, whose team (1-3) enjoyed a 13-point

cushion in the first half, but watched it dwindle to 23-19 at halftime.

“She finished her shots inside and got some nice passes (mostly from

sophomore point guard Trisha Wase, who had seven assists) and got some

nice putbacks. We can’t rely on Xochitl Byfield and Trisha Wase all the

time.”

Wase also scored 17 points, including a 3-of-5 effort from three-point

land, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four third-quarter shots (all

from the perimeter).

“(Wase) does a lot for us out there,” Kirby said. “I think she’s the

best all-around player in our (Pacific Coast) league.”

Estancia, which will face Mission Viejo for 13th place Saturday at

10:30 a.m., opened with an 8-0 lead against Newport Harbor (0-4) and led,

14-3, by first quarter’s end.

The Sailors rallied in the second quarter, sparked by 5-7 sophomore

Jillianne Whitfield (team-high 10 points), 5-10 senior Evita Castillo

(nine points and four boards) and point guard Athena Vasquez (two steals

during the Tars’ 14-5 run).

“After halftime, we just lost the momentum and came out flat in the

third quarter,” said first-year Newport Coach Jennifer Thompson, whose

squad will play Torrance for 15th place Saturday at 9 a.m. “We just need

to put it all together. We have lapses that you can’t have.”

Estancia blitzed Newport in the third quarter, 18-4, as Wase scored

nine of her points. The Eagles built a 41-23 lead heading into the fourth

quarter.

Byfield, who returned to the game with 4:39 left in the third quarter,

might have suffered a mild concussion while fighting for a loose ball in

the waning moments, Kirby said.

SOUTH COAST HOLIDAY CLASSIC

13th place semifinal

Estancia 49, Newport Harbor 30

Score by Quarters

Newport Harbor 3 16 4 7 - 30

Estancia 14 9 18 8 - 49 Newport Harbor - Castillo 9, Whitfield 10, Campbell 0, Swigart 2,

Vasquez 6, Woller 0, Stoltz 0, Miller 3.

3-pt. goals - none.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Estancia - Byfield 5, Gray 20, Wase 17, Rodriguez 0, Castro 2, Mino 5,

Pena 0, Arellanes 0, Garcia 0.

3-pt. goals - Wase 3, Byfield 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.