Girls basketball: Mustangs answer huge in clutch

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - Crystina Poncher made like Vanessa Williams -- she

saved the best for last.

The Costa Mesa High senior starting guard made her four points when

her visiting girls basketball team needed them the most in a nonleague

60-58 overtime win over Newport-Mesa District foe Newport Harbor Tuesday.

Poncher nailed a set-shot just inside of the three-point line near the

baseline with 0:01 left in regulation to send the game into overtime,

54-54, then she hit a jumper at the free-throw line to tie the score,

56-56.

Christine Caron later scored two to give the 60-58 lead with less than

30 seconds and on defense Caron stole a pass and was fouled with 0:04

left. She missed the front end of a one-and-one and Jillianne Whitfield

heaved a desperation half-court shot that fell short.

“(Poncher) hit some nice, big shots,” Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “We

found a way to make some critical shots.”

And how.

Naff made her critical shots in the first half, scoring 21 of her 24

points, and she dished out two key assists in overtime. She fed Poncher

for two points, then to Caron for another bucket.

Eileen Bello also scored two points in the fourth quarter and two in

overtime. She grabbed an offensive rebound and made the put-back to give

the Mustangs a 58-56 lead in overtime. Whitfield hit a jumper to tie the

game with less than a minute remaining.

The Sailors (0-6) trailed the entire second half, but Athena Vasquez’s

jumper with one second left on the shot clock and 0:39 left in regulation

gave Newport a 53-52 lead. Vasquez, with 15 points, was one of three

Sailors who scored in double figures, including Whitfield with 17 and

Lindsey Woller with 11.

But, free-throw shooting was the Sailors’ demise. They made just 11

for 29.

“We shouldn’t be shooting that bad (at the free-throw line),” Newport

first-year coach Jen Thompson said. “Even if we make half of what we

missed we would have won.”

Costa Mesa (2-3) hit 11 of 13 free throws, as Naff made 6 of 7. She

was nearly unstoppable in the first half, penetrating to the basket and

either dishing off for an assist, stopping for a shot, or drawing a foul.

“(Newport) did a great job on (Naff) in the second half,” Weeks said.

“Newport played so hard. (Thompson) has done such a great job over there

in such a short time.”

The Sailors will host Centennial (Compton), Friday at 5 p.m.