Boys basketball: Conte and Vakili shoot down Eagles

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - No need for nicknames or adulation for Costa Mesa

High’s senior backcourt duo of David Conte and Chad Vakili, even after

they scored 59 of the Mustangs’ 72-48 Pacific Coast League boys

basketball victory over visiting crosstown rival Estancia Friday.

Conte (32 points) and Vakili (27) led the Mustangs to the school’s

largest margin over the Eagles in a series that dates back to the 1966-67

season. The Mustangs (15-9, 4-4 in the PCL) maintained possession of the

perpetual Bell Trophy for the second straight year, avenging a 67-57 loss

at Estancia Jan. 16.

Moments after the resounding win, the duo quickly credited their

teammates, who also accounted for Mesa’s dominating second half.

“This was a team effort,” said Conte as he stood next to his backcourt

mate.

“The team played really hard. We wanted revenge,” Vakili said. “No one

was selfish.”

Because of their teammates the senior tandem made enough highlight

plays to satisfy an ESPN Sportscenter segment. Conte drained 6 of 9 from

three-point land (67%), dished six assists and recorded six steals.

Vakili shot 4 of 10 from behind the arc, and, like Conte, was awarded

co-player of the game by a local cable television station.

“They were on tonight,” Estancia Coach Chris Sorce said of Conte and

Vakili. “It doesn’t matter what you do defensively. They’re going to get

their points and they did. I’m not so sure those two beat us. (Mesa) did

a good job defensively.”

Especially in the second half. Mesa pressured Estancia’s guards to

prevent entry passes to the big man in the paint, Joey Lindquist, the

Eagle senior who scored 11 points, half of what he had in Estancia’s Jan.

16 win.

“This is payback,” Vakili said. “They are our crosstown rivals and

they beat us the first time. We were mad so we wanted to come back and

play as a team. We took that loss real personal.”

The Eagles (12-12, 3-5), who were outscored 24-13 in the third quarter

and never recovered, featured Carlos Pinto. The freshman scored a

career-high 14 points, while junior Lewis Bradshaw grabbed a game-high 13

rebounds.

Costa Mesa Coach Bob Serven said the Mustangs’ 88-85 comeback win over

University last week has turned their season around and Thursday was

proof of such.