Boys’ Basketball: Mesa falls in close one to Godinez
SANTA ANA — With two boys’ basketball games to go last regular season, Costa Mesa High was two wins away from winning its first Orange Coast League title.
Godinez ruined the Mustangs’ championship run in the final week of league play.
The Grizzlies once again stood in the way of Costa Mesa staying atop the league. They barely did so for the second time in as many seasons.
In a battle for first place, Godinez remained undefeated, holding on for a 57-55 win at home on Friday.
The Mustangs had a shot to tie it or win it at the end, and they decided to go for the win. Nico Dasca, who led everyone with 22 points, took the inbound pass with eight seconds to go. He dribbled past midcourt before finding Jack Perez a couple of steps behind the three-point line.
With a couple of seconds on the clock, Perez took a three from the right wing, missing it, and the Grizzlies grabbed the rebound to improve to 4-0 in league. The Mustangs (7-14, 3-1 in league) came close to avenging last season’s 52-48 setback at home to Godinez.
“We wanted the win,” Costa Mesa Coach Phil Weber said. “We were drawing up a three. It was just too far out for [Perez], and he hadn’t really shot it much in the fourth quarter. We needed the shot and he took it.
“For the returners that I have, the four of them, they knew how tough this game was going to be, especially in this gym.”
Dasca is one of the four returners, and he rallied the Mustangs from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter. The sophomore made all of his four shots in the third quarter, and there was a stretch, starting late in the second quarter and ending early in the fourth, that the guard was successful on six shots in a row.
Dasca finally gave Costa Mesa a 49-48 lead with about 2½ minutes remaining. He drove to his left, putting the Mustangs ahead for the first time since Osman Hefner nailed a three-pointer 48 seconds into the game.
Turnovers hurt the Mustangs. They turned the ball over three times down the stretch, and Patrick McMorris always seemed to come up with the steal. McMorris’ first steal in the fourth resulted in Godinez retaking a 50-49 lead, as he converted two free throws at the 2:01 mark.
Eleven seconds later, McMorris stole the ball again, and then the Mustangs tied up the ball. The possession arrow went to the Grizzlies, and they took advantage. They went ahead, 53-49, after Ramon Lopez-Felix converted a three-point play at the free-throw line.
McMorris got another steal, and it led to a Bryan Rivera layup and Godinez going up, 55-49. Lopez-Felix found Rivera open on the left, and Rivera, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, finished easily.
The Mustangs caught Godinez at 55-55, thanks to scoring six consecutive points during a 38-second stretch. Hefner, who had 16 points, made two free throws, Tre Villalpando hit a jumper just inside the three-point line, and Dasca drove to his left to even things up with 18 seconds left.
The Grizzlies answered eight seconds later.
Even though the Mustangs held Lopez-Felix to 11 points, almost 13 points below his season average, the senior delivered. The senior guard dished the ball to Rivera, who went in for a layup to put Godinez back in front.
With eights seconds on the clock, both teams called a timeout. Godinez Coach Greg Coombs didn’t want Dasca to take the shot.
“Zero made some tough shots,” said Coombs, referring to Dasca’s jersey number. “We were going to try and deny [them] getting a three. A two at least gets us to overtime. That was a long shot [they took].
“They were coming off a big win [against Laguna Beach on [Wednesday]. They played with a lot of confidence.”
The Grizzlies are one victory away from going perfect in the first round of league. They play at Calvary Chapel on Wednesday.
The next big test for Godinez, who are 19-3 overall and ranked No. 12 in the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA poll, is a home date with defending league champion Laguna Beach next Friday. Godinez won the first meeting, 45-35.
Costa Mesa beat the Breakers, 46-39, marking its first win at home against Laguna Beach since 2006-07, the inaugural season of the Orange Coast League. There have been only two teams that have won the Orange Coast League, Laguna Beach nine times and Godinez once.
The Mustangs came close to sweeping both the Breakers and Grizzlies in a matter of three days.
Orange Coast League
Godinez 57, Costa Mesa 55
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Costa Mesa 12 – 11 – 11 – 21 — 55
Godinez 15 – 14 – 12 – 16 — 57
CM – Dasca 22, Hefner 16, Chavez 7, Swanson 4, Villalpando 2, Perez 2, Ayala 2.
3-pt. goals – Hefner 4, Dasca 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
G – Rivera 20, Lopez-Felix 11, Bueno 10, McMorris 7, Bravo 7, Lopez 2.
3-pt. goals – McMorris 1, Lopez-Felix 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
