Mustangs close in on title

Costa Mesa High boys’ hoops gamer vs. OVAfter beating Ocean View for the second time, Costa Mesa is thinking league title with one game remaining.COSTA MESA -- It wasn’t pretty, but it’ll do. Monday’s game was almost a carbon copy of the last time the Costa Mesa High boys’ basketball team played Ocean View. Neither team shot particularly well, there was a lot of defensive intensity on both sides and, in the end, it came down to free throws.

Scott Knox, who was just 2 of 6 from the free-throw line in the third quarter, hit all eight of his foul shots in the fourth quarter to help give the Mustangs a 44-42 Golden West League win and a season sweep of the Seahawks.

The victory puts Costa Mesa (15-9, 9-2 in league) in first place, a half-game ahead of Ocean View. The Mustangs conclude league play at Orange on Friday. Ocean View (15-9, 8-2) has two league games left.

If the Mustangs win at least a share of the league title, it’ll be the first time since 2001, when they captured a share of the Pacific Coast League crown -- the only varsity boys’ basketball title in the program’s 46-season history.

“It feels good to be in this position,” Costa Mesa Coach Ryan Schachter said. “But it’s scary knowing we could blow it. We’ve been up and down this season. Orange will be tough for us.”

Ocean View star Brad Sweezy missed the game to be with his ailing father in North Carolina, to which the Seahawks’ scoring problems could be partly attributed. Costa Mesa’s tenacious defense also was a factor, especially in the second half.

Costa Mesa held Ocean View to four points in the third quarter.

With both senior point guard Brian Molina and junior forward Larry Puente in foul trouble, the Mustangs were inconsistent on offense.

The Mustangs took their first lead when Tony Krikorian knocked down a 10-foot jump shot with 57 seconds left in the third quarter to give Costa Mesa a 27-25 edge.

But Krikorian rolled his ankle while landing, and missed the rest of the game.

With Krikorian out, Mikey Molina picked up the slack and had five points off the bench.

Knox, who led the Mustangs with 15 points, had a chance to give his team its first lead early in the third quarter, but missed two free throws.

So after Ocean View’s Casey Ngo fouled Knox early in the fourth quarter, then earned a technical objecting to the call, Schachter was a little hesitant to let Knox shoot the technical free throws.

“After he missed three in a row or whatever it was [in the third quarter], I told him only if he makes both of his free throws does he get to shoot the technicals,” Schachter said.

Knox made four in a row to give the Mustangs a 34-25 lead.

Two three-pointers helped the Seahawks close the gap to 38-36 with a minute left. But after Puente and Ocean View’s Wynton Johnson traded driving layups, senior Diego Delgado fouled Knox on two consecutive inbound passes, and Knox made all four of his free-throw attempts in the last 12 seconds.

“It was almost a repeat of the first game,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said. “We had the game in hand, then had a long scoring draught in the third quarter.

“Costa Mesa is a team that makes the most of what it has, and we haven’t done the same thing,” Harris said. “Costa Mesa plays as a team better than we do. We’re too sporadic. We have moments of really good basketball, but we’re too inconsistent.”

The win gives Mesa a glimpse of at least a share of the league title with one hurdle left.

“It feels great to be in this position,” Knox said. “I’ve been waiting four years for this. We only have one banner up. We want another one.”

Golden West League

Costa Mesa 44,

Ocean View 42

Score by Quarters