Pinto sparks Estancia win

Natalie Venegas

COSTA MESA -- Thursday night the Estancia High boys basketball team

faced Westminster in a Golden West League game as senior standout

Carlos Pinto led the Eagles with 33 points and 12 rebounds in a 74-49

victory.

The Eagles improved to 19-4, 10-0 in league with three games

remaining next week to conclude the regular season.

Pinto scored 14 of the Eagles’ 31 points in the first half. In the

second half he dominated the court with 18 points and six rebounds.

Westminster (2-19, 0-9 in league) kept it close throughout the

first two quarters, trailing by only one point in the first quarter

and four at the half (31-27). Estancia Coach Jason Simco said, “Our

main problem in the first half is that we were defensively a little

sluggish. We allowed too many second-chance points”.

In the second half the Eagles appeared to be a new team,

increasing their lead from four to 19 with two minutes left in the

third quarter. They went on an 8-0 run in the first two minutes,

keeping the Lions scoreless until 6:15 left in the third. The Eagles

never allowed the Lions within 10 for the remainder of the game.

A highlight of the game was not only “senior night” but also a

slam dunk by senior Bryce McKendry with 10 seconds remaining in the

fourth quarter, causing a roar in the crowd, and leading to the final

score.

Estancia outscored Westminster in the third quarter, 22-7, to take

a commanding 53-34 lead by quarter’s end.

Monday the Eagles play one of their last three games against host

Saddleback, followed by road games against Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.

Golden West Conference

Estancia 74,

Westminster 49

Score by Quarters

*--*

Westminster 16 11 7 15 -- 49

Estancia 15 16 22 21 -- 74

*--*

Westminster -- Marinca 8, Tran 4, Hudson 9, Alexandru 5, Gillette

4, Nguyen 3, Duong 2, Medina 14.

3-pt. goals -- Marinca 2, Nguyen 1, Medina 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Estancia -- Pinto 33, Escobosa 4, Montillo 5, Verrette 10,

McKendry 4, McDaniels 3, Kopp 3, Hart 3, Molina 3, Markley 2.

3-pt. goals -- Pinto 1, Molina 1, McDaniels 1, Kopp 1.