Eagles execute in upset victory

Barry Faulkner

The scouting report was integral and the game plan downright

ingenious. But Estancia High boys basketball coach Jason Simco said

the key to Tuesday’s CIF Southern Section Division III-A quarterfinal

upset at No. 3-seeded Orange Lutheran was what has grown this season

in the hearts and minds of the Eagle players.

“It’s all about believing now,” said the 22-year-old first-year

head man after the No. 6-seeded Eagles (23-5) surrendered a halftime

lead, built a four-point edge after three periods, then ran away from

the Lancers (19-7).

The win moved the Golden West League champions, who had not won a

playoff game since 1998 before topping Nordhoff in Friday’s second

round, into the semifinals Friday night against No. 2-seeded

Harvard-Westlake (23-3).

The Eagles will be the host at an alternate site of their

choosing, since Harvard-Westlake, which topped Muir, 69-66, Tuesday,

has played both of its playoff games at home.

“I’ve worked with most of these seniors for four years, teaching

them X’s and O’s,” Simco said. “But, this time of year, you have to

believe you can win.”

Simco said he talked with his players before the season about

earning a top-10 Orange County ranking.

“But then we bombed [in a December tournament game] against Aliso

Niguel, then later against San Clemente. Still, I told our guys we

would make the top 10, because we were going to beat Orange Lutheran,

the best county team in our division.”

Simco proved prophetic, but not without another prolific night

from senior four-year varsity performer Carlos Pinto. Pinto, who

scored 17 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter against

Nordhoff, had 21 of his game-high 28 after intermission Tuesday.

Pinto made his final six field-goal tries, including a 19-footer

that put the visitors ahead for good with 46 seconds left in the

third quarter. He was also 11 of 11 from the free-throw line,

including seven in the final 2:14 to secure the win.

Pinto, 8 of 12 from the field, added eight rebounds and five

steals. His 28 points pushed his career total to 1,518.

Junior Mike McDaniels had 13 of his 16 points in the first half,

after which Estancia led, 27-22. He was 7 of 11 from the field to

help the Eagles shoot 50% for the game and also collected eight

boards.

Junior point guard Shaun Markley scored eight, including a

momentum-swinging three-pointer with 6:26 left to put the visitors

up, 44-38.

“Markley’s three was huge,” said Simco, who also praised the

contributions of senior Ray Verrette (four points, three rebounds and

two steals).

“I give a lot of credit to the seniors and our guards,” Simco

said. “We wanted to keep the crowd out of it early and we did that.”

Estancia used a 9-0 run to claim an 11-5 lead, then finished the

first quarter with a 7-2 surge after the hosts had tied it at 11.

McDaniels scored on one of a handful of backdoor layups to give

the Eagles a 23-15 lead with 5:14 left before halftime and four

straight Verrette points put the visitors up by seven late in the

second quarter.

Lutheran junior Steven Craik netted three three-pointers within 82

seconds to electrify the home crowd and give the hosts a 31-27

advantage early in the third quarter.

But Estancia, despite committing 22 turnovers, one more than the

Lancers, kept its collective cool and stuck to Simco’s strategy.

“I had faith that if we held them to under 60, we would win,”

Simco said.

Lutheran, which beat Estancia, 81-49, in last year’s first round,

shot 35.8% from the field (19 for 53) and 29.2% from threedom (7 for

24).

Orange Lutheran opened the fourth period with a foul shot to pull

to within 41-38 and trailed, 46-42, with 3:43 left.

But Blake Pinto drained two free throws and Carlos Pinto (no

relation) converted a three-point play to leave the Lancers behind.

Craik led the Lancers with 16 points, including five three balls,

while Travis Pinick, a 6-foot-6 senior, added 14.

CIF Division III-A

Quarterfinal

Estancia 60,

Orange Lutheran 49

Score by Quarters

*--*

Estancia 18 9 14 19 -- 60

O. Lutheran 13 9 15 12 -- 49

*--*

Estancia -- C. Pinto 28, McDaniels 16, Kopp 2, Sh. Markley 8,

Verrette 4, B. Pinto 2, Montillo 0, Fryslie 0, Sc. Markley 0,

Escobedo 0, Molina 0, Hart 0, McKendry 0.

3-pt. goals -- C. Pinto 1, McDaniels 1, Sh. Markley 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Orange Lutheran -- Pinick 14, Craik 16, Rohr 8, Ledbetter 2,

Couvoisier 0, Pettis 6, Izing 3..

3-pt. goals -- Craik 5, Pinick 1, Izing 1.

Fouled out -- Rohr.

Technicals -- None.