Weeks’ finale tough

DOWNEY — This wasn’t the way it was supposed to end.

Costa Mesa High girls’ basketball coach Jim Weeks announced this week he would retire from coaching after this season. But Weeks didn’t want to see his team’s season, nor his 16-year span as Mustangs head coach, end this way.

He pleaded during second-half timeouts of Saturday night’s CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA second-round game at St. Matthias of Downey.

“Stop No. 32 from going left!” he yelled.

Every time St. Matthias junior guard Nicolette Phillips went left and made a tough shot, the playoff dreams of the Mustangs went a different direction — further south.

Phillips scored a career-high 35 and the No. 12-seeded Victorians stunned the No. 5 Mustangs, 60-56, ending Costa Mesa’s season and Weeks’ coaching career. He said he would formally submit his resignation within the next couple of weeks.

“It’s my last game, and I just hated to see us not do the things we’ve been doing all year,” Weeks said. “We scored 56, and that’s above our season average. Fifty-six should be enough. We just couldn’t stop their guards.”

Not the way it was supposed to end for the Mustangs’ senior class, either, the class that held out hope they would advance to the Division IV-AA championship game at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid like they did a year ago.

“I’m just speechless,” said Mustangs senior guard Michelle Figueroa, who had 28 points and 17 rebounds. “I didn’t know it was going to end like this, but [St. Matthias] did a good job. They’re a good team, and they had everything going in.”

Costa Mesa (19-9) was in control of the game early, earning a 33-24 halftime lead. But the Mustangs opened the second half with five straight turnovers, allowing St. Matthias (10-17) to climb back in.

The Victorians tied the game for the first time on Phillips’ three-pointer midway through the third quarter. It was part of a 14-4 run that St. Matthias used to end the quarter, taking a 46-39 advantage into the fourth.

St. Matthias opened up its largest lead of 11 points when Phillips, the left-handed guard who continued going to her left, nailed another three-pointer. But the Mustangs battled back.

Mesa was down, 58-56, on Figueroa’s put-back with 1:20 left in the game. But the Mustangs missed two free throws and three shots in the final minute.

“They made good shots, they got calls and we came in with the wrong attitude,” said Mesa senior center Jasmine Werdel, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds. “We were seeded fifth and they were No. 12, and we were thinking a little bit too ahead. We were already thinking about playing [No. 4] Arrowhead Christian [in the quarterfinals].”

Arrowhead Christian was also upset Saturday by No. 14 Whitney, 50-45.

Phillips made a single free throw with 19 seconds left to put her team up three, and a subsequent Costa Mesa three-point attempt was blocked. St. Matthias then missed a pair of free throws, but the Mustangs immediately committed a turnover on the baseline and were forced to foul.

Phillips made the second of two free throws with seven seconds left, helping seal the upset.

CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA

Second round

St. Matthias 60, Costa Mesa 56

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CM – Figueroa 28, Werdel 20, Rosello 3, Trinh 2, Gentling 2, Scheidt 1.

3-pt. goals – Figueroa 1, Rosello 1.

Fouled out – Gentling, Werdel.

SM – Phillips 35, Garcia 17, Marquez 5, Nova 2, Ruelas 1.

3-pt. goals – Phillips 5, Garcia 1.

Fouled out – Guardado.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].