Future is now for surging Mustangs

Steve Virgen

With three sophomores and one junior in its starting lineup the

future for the Costa Mesa High boys basketball team appears quite

promising. But Mustangs Coach Bob Serven is not one to look ahead on

his calendar.

After watching his team wake up in terms of shooting and earn a

59-49 Golden West League victory over visiting Santa Ana Friday,

Serven cut short the deadline he has for his squad to break through.

“For us the future is now,” Serven said. “We’re just concentrating

on right now. Those guys (sophomores Brian Molina, Scott Knox and

Tony Krikorian, and junior Jeff Waldron) have played as much

basketball on the varsity level as most seniors have played [their

whole career]. Scott Knox has probably taken more [three-pointers] in

one year than most players get to take in their whole career. We’re a

little more polished for a young team.”

The Mustangs (13-7, 4-2 in league) symbolically concurred with

Serven’s words with a 16-2 run in the second quarter to take control

of the game that included two teams with similar playing styles and

identical league records coming in.

The Mustangs’ big spurt gave them a 34-22 lead at the break. Mesa

outscored Santa Ana, 23-7, in the second quarter.

Molina’s driving layup with 6:27 left before halftime ignited the

run that included a three-point play by Marko Stankovic, Mesa’s lone

senior starter, and two three-pointers by Knox, who battled with foul

trouble throughout the contest.

Knox, who scored 13 points, picked up his fourth foul with 1:26

left in the third quarter, but finished the game without fouling out.

He, as well as Krikorian and Waldron, played all 32 minutes.

Molina led the Mustangs with 14 points and 10 assists, while

Waldron added 14 points and 18 rebounds and Stankovich provided 11

points and 12 rebounds.

“We had a good effort from everybody,” Serven said. “Marko had a

good game. Brian Molina had a very good game for us. We played good

defense and held them to seven points in the [second] quarter. That

type of effort helped their adrenaline get going. We were

counterpunching in that first quarter.”

The Mustangs seemed to have delivered the knockout with that 16-2

run, as they ended up hitting half of their 12 three-point attempts

in the first half.

However, the Saints (8-11, 3-3) had a small rally in the third

quarter when they hit three straight three-pointers to pull within

39-33. But the Mustangs scored the final four points of the quarter,

two on Molina free throws and then a buzzer-beating outside shot from

Krikorian, who nailed his attempt from just inside the three-point

line.

Waldron then opened the fourth quarter with one of his four

putbacks to give the Mustangs a 45-36 lead. Mesa also depended on

Stankovich, who contributed a solid fourth-quarter performance,

scoring six points.

“We were just making a lot of shots and playing good defense,”

Molina said. “We just had more pride in our defense.”

Molina said the team took more pride in its defense because it did

not want the Saints to heat up from beyond the three-point line. The

Mustangs knew senior Pete Flores usually has the hot hand for the

Saints.

Flores never got hot, but he led Santa Ana with 17 points. He hit

five three-pointers, but missed seven (41.6%).

“We really stuck it to them on defense,” Waldron said. “We got

really intense and with Marko we were able to turn it up. This was

one of Marko’s best games.”

Costa Mesa cooled down on its three-pointers in the second half,

hitting just one of its 11 attempts. The Mustangs finished 23 of 51

from the field (45%).

“We knew they were going to make some [three-pointers],” Serven

said. “They’re quick. But I think we might have been just a tad more

solid.”

*--*

Golden West League

Costa Mesa 59, Santa Ana 49

Score by Quarters

Santa Ana 15 7 11 16 -- 49

Costa Mesa 11 23 9 16 -- 59

Santa Ana -- P. Flores 17, Silva 2, Favela 6,

Granados 6, Mendoza 5, R. Flores 11,

Rodriguez 2. 3-pt. goals -- P. Flores 5, P.

Flores 3, Granados 2, Mendoza 1. Costa Mesa

-- Molina 14, Knox 13, Krikorian 5, Waldron

14, Stankovich 11, Gandia 2, Aleson 0. 3-pt.

goals -- Knox 3, Molina 2, Krikorian 1,

Waldron 1.

*--*