Boys basketball: Uni rallies past Estancia

Richard Dunn

IRVINE - All things considered, two temporary defensive breakdowns

cost Estancia High’s Eagles a chance of upsetting University in a wild

Pacific Coast League boys basketball affair Wednesday at Uni.

“Our kids played really well. Everyone who has come in here has gotten

blasted,” said Estancia Coach Chris Sorce, whose team couldn’t withstand

a fiery Trojan run in the second half as University (14-7, 4-1 in the PCL) earned a 68-57 victory.

“It was a tough game, but we pulled it out,” Uni Coach Mike Dinneen

added.

Estancia (11-10, 2-3) enjoyed a 29-26 halftime edge, and, according to

Sorce, could have been more if wasn’t for a blown defensive assignment

late in the first quarter, when Uni reserve Max Whelihan spelled

foul-plagued Bobby Gomez and hit two three-pointers from the corner in

the period’s closing moments.

Another defensive lapse occurred in the middle of the fourth quarter

when Uni’s Jon Asnon, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, drained three of his

team-high four three-pointers as the Trojans forged a 64-51 cushion,

their biggest of the game, with 2:54 left.

After Fernando Maldonado (game-high 25 points) hit a three-pointer to

pull Estancia within two with 6:59 to play, Uni spurted, 13-2, to build

its 13-point lead.

Asnon hit a three from the corner with 5:05 to play, then nailed

another with 4:37 left as Uni ran up a 59-49 edge during another Eagle

defensive breakdown.

“That’s 12 points right there on those two defensive series, and we

lost by how many points?” Sorce said.

Junior center Joey Lindquist led Estancia with 18 points, 11 rebounds,

two steals and one block, while Maldonado hit 7 of 10 from three-point

land.

After Lindquist scored in the fourth, Asnon made a layup in transition

and buried his third three-pointer of the quarter to spark Uni’s decisive

rally.

“It was a battle of wills,” said Sorce, whose team held the up-tempo

Trojans to 26 points in the first half.

Uni missed its first eight shots from the field in the second quarter

and point guard Matt Cachola dished out three of his game-high six

assists as the Eagles outscored Uni in the second quarter, 17-7.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

University 68, Estancia 57

Score by Quarters

Estancia 12 17 15 13 - 57 University 19 7 24 18 - 68 Estancia - Cachola 2, Valdes 4, Lindquist 18, Bradshaw 0, Maldonaldo

25, Pinto 8, Prado 0, Snell 0.

3-pt. goals - Maldonado 7.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

University - Feistel 6, J. Asnon 19, Moskus 18, Gomez 13, G. Asnon 6,

Whelihan 6, Nobe 0.

3-pt. goals - J. Asnon 4, Whelihan 2, Gomez 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.