Boys basketball: Estancia stuns Orange

Steve Virgen

ANAHEIM - Perhaps Estancia High boys basketball coach Chris Sorce

best described his Eagles’ stunning 62-57 win over previously undefeated

Orange in a semifinal of the Garden Grove North County Shootout at

Western High Friday.

“This was a statement game,” Sorce said. “I told (the Eagles), ‘This

is when we find out whether we are contenders or pretenders.’ They showed

tonight they would be contenders. I’m so proud of them.”

Estancia (6-4) led by as many as 22 in the second quarter, but failed

to hit a field goal in the third and was outscored, 21-2. But the Eagles

answered with a strong fourth quarter and hit 7 of 9 free throws.

Estancia, on a four-game winning streak, will face Western in the

title game tonight at 7:30 at Garden Grove High.

The Eagles built a 21-4 lead after the first quarter, in what Sorce

called Estancia’s best quarter of the season. Estancia senior Jorge

Prado, who scored a game-high 20 points, started out hot, putting in

eight points. And he finished the game steaming, adding another eight in

the fourth quarter. He recorded two clutch steals, which he converted

into four points, in the fourth, and nailed a pair of one-and-one free

throws to give Estancia a 59-54 lead with 41 seconds left.

“On paper, this is an upset,” said Prado who made 6 of 9 shots,

including two three-pointers. “But, we proved we are a team to be

reckoned with. Together, we were as good as an undefeated team.”

Senior Fernando Maldonado also made a big contribution for the Eagles.

He scored 13 of his 18 points in the first half, when Estancia shot 16 of

27 (59.3%) from the field.

Orange (9-1) was 8 for 26 before halftime, but responded with a

shocking third quarter to rally from a 19-point halftime deficit.

Orange guard Marcus Smith, who led the Panthers with 17 points, was

fouled on a three-point shot with no time left in the third quarter. He

sank all three free throws for 11 points in the quarter and, more

importantly, tied the score, 43-43.

Estancia answered with an 8-2 run over the first 3:30 of the fourth,

prompting Orange to call a timeout.

After Orange’s Antonio Polk hit a three, Prado went to work. He stole

the ball, drew a foul on the breakaway and hit both free throws for a

53-48 lead with 3:23 left. Prado came up with another steal 15 seconds

later and converted the breakaway layup.

Sorce said Estancia’s victory was a true team effort. Starting junior

center Joey Lindquist scored eight points, while Lewis Bradshaw added six

and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Lindquist battled through foul

trouble, and freshman Carlos Pinto filled in but Pinto injured his knee

in the first half and sat out the rest of the game.

“We’ve had a full season in our first 10 games with all the

adversity,” Sorce said, referring to injuries to Micah Young (out for the

season with a torn ACL) and Pinto. “They just keep battling. There were a

lot of people who wrote us off after the injury to Micah. But, the kids

want to prove something to people, that they can play great as a team.”

GARDEN GROVE NORTH COUNTY SHOOTOUT

Semifinal

Estancia 62, Orange 57

Orange 4 18 21 14 - 57

Estancia 21 20 2 19 - 62

Orange - Parker 14, Collins 7, Reeves 8, Polk 6, Smith 17, Garcia 3,

Tavarro 2.

3-pt. goals - Smith 4, Reeves 2, Polk 1, Collins 1.

Fouled out - Smith.

Technicals - none.

Estancia - Bradshaw 6, Maldonado 18, Lindquist 8, Prado 20, Snell 2,

Novack 4, Pinto 4, Valdes 0.

3-pt. goals - Maldonado 3, Prado 2.

Fouled out - Lindquist.

Technicals - none.