Estancia girls’ basketball pulls away from Costa Mesa

In the 2016-17 season, Costa Mesa High was the only one of the girls’ basketball teams competing in the Battle for the Bell that made the playoffs.

But when the Mustangs met in-city rival Estancia, they were in for a fight. The schools split their two meetings, with both games being decided by a combined four points.

The Eagles had just five wins last season, making last year’s Battle for the Bell series a testament to how teams raise their level for rivalry games.

Then Tuesday night came, the first matchup between the teams this season. Visiting Estancia was ready, a late-arriving crowd voicing its support throughout the contest.

The Eagles pulled away from Costa Mesa in the second half, winning 63-32 to close out the first half of Orange Coast League play.

Estancia (8-11, 3-2 in league) jumped out to a 19-5 lead after the first quarter. Senior guard Fatima Gutierrez scored all nine of her points in the opening quarter, including an 8-0 run by herself to begin the game.

“Personally, I had some words from my coach [Ramia Griffin], so I knew I had to step it up,” Gutierrez said. “This game, especially, is always a different game, since it’s Mesa.”

The Mustangs responded with a 20-point second quarter. Junior forward Katie Belmontes and junior center McKayla Ortiz each scored seven points in the quarter, with Ally Cruz and Kiarra Garcia each making a three-pointer.

Estancia’s lead stood at 32-25 going into the break.

Down two starters, Costa Mesa (5-10, 1-4) was unable to sustain its offensive rhythm. Junior point guard Samantha Filner said she was out with a sprained ankle, while freshman forward Tarah Harmon said she was sidelined with a sprained ACL.

Prior to the game, Mustangs coach Carlos Juarez said he was optimistic that both players could return next week.

The game did not go the Mustangs’ way, and a skirmish with Estancia reserves on the floor in the game’s final minute drew the ire of Juarez. Belmontes, who had 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists, was tied up with junior guard Kaira Avila, when Costa Mesa’s star player hit the ground.

Both players took exception to the collision, with Avila gesturing to the Estancia crowd to get behind the team following an exchange of words.

“I want to know why Estancia’s coaching staff sends that girl in to try to take out our best player,” Juarez said. “She should have been ejected in that game, and she should have to sit the next game.

“She clearly tried to hurt [Belmontes], and then over here, she says, ‘I told you to stay down.’”

Asked her view of the play, Griffin said, “I saw a player [Belmontes] that got in her own head, frustrated by the way her game is going, besides the last shot. That’s what I saw.

“My player [Avila], she lashed out a little bit, too, but at the end of the day, it’s on the scoreboard. We already had a 30-point lead at that point, so what’s the point of doing all that?”

The teams meet again at Estancia to close the regular season on Feb. 7.

Senior guard Cielo Cruz had a game-high 12 points with 12 rebounds, five steals and four assists for the Eagles. Senior guard Jennifer Leon had 11 points and five steals, while junior forward Leslie Escorcia and senior guard Johanna Herrera each added nine points.

Estancia is alone in third place in league at the midway point. That puts the Eagles in position to make the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

“I think it’s definitely a possibility,” Cruz said of making the playoffs. “If we pretend that every game is against Costa Mesa, I think we would really be pushing it and getting ourselves into a good spot.”

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner