Sea View League : Estancia Beats Saddleback, 59-58

Before the season began, the only question in the minds of many Sea View League basketball fans was: Would Saddleback High School’s dream team win its first league championship, or would it have to settle for another second-place finish?

Certainly no one imagined that with three games left to play, the super-talented Roadrunners’ chances of even qualifying for the playoffs would be fragile enough to be spoiled by one shriek of an officials’ whistle.

Saddleback (7-5, 14-9) was a second away from its first victory in memory against second-place Estancia (10-2, 22-3) Friday. The Roadrunners had a 58-57 advantage with six seconds left at Estancia when Saddleback’s Joe Deal was fouled by the Eagles’ Richie Stamps.

Deal, who had played a typically solid game, somehow missed both free throws. The Eagles seized the rebound. Estancia’s Adam Lockwood caught the last-minute pass at the other end of the court and made a desperate drive to shoot before the clock ran out. He collided with Deal near the basket with one second to go.

The officials called a foul on Deal. Lockwood, an 80% free throw shooter, made both shots. That gave Estancia a 59-58 victory and virtually eliminated the Roadrunners from playoff contention, as they fell behind third-place Corona del Mar (9-3) by two games with two remaining.

It seemed improbable that the stocky little Estancia team should be able to beat rangy, sweet-shooting Saddleback three times this season. After all, the Roadrunners boasted three future Division 1 college players, and they are the only public school team in Orange County that can make that claim.

By comparison, Estancia has just one player, Scott Clements, bound for college basketball, and he expects to attend Division II Cal Poly Pomona.

Saddleback lost to the Eagles by a point each of the three times they met this season. And the only explanation Eagle Coach Joe Reid could offer for his scrappy team’s victories was a tap on his chest.

“It’s right here, baby,” Reid said, indicating the ticker. “It comes from the heart . . . We’ve won seven games by one or two points. This team will not say die.”

It was ironic that this game, probably Saddleback’s best all-around against the Eagles, should have been the final heart-breaker.

Sea View League

League Overall School W L W L Newport Harbor 11 1 20 3 Estancia 10 2 22 3 Corona del Mar 9 3 17 6 Saddleback 7 5 14 9 Costa Mesa 4 8 9 13 Laguna Beach 4 8 7 14 Woodbridge 2 10 4 14 University 1 11 4 17

The only aspect that Saddleback could be faulted for was typically weak rebounding. The shorter Eagles had 12 more rebounds for a total of 30. Other than that, the Roadrunners appeared to be putting greater emphasis on defense while turning in a breathtaking offensive game.

Senior Mark Walton found his way inside to take numerous assists from brother Bryant Walton and point guard Earl Jones. His outside shot was uncannily accurate as he scored 30 points.

Mark Walton’s 16 first-half points boosted the Roadrunners to a 29-28 halftime advantage, while Lockwood, playing with considerable guile and second-effort, retaliated with 12 in the half. Although the Roadrunners had a narrow advantage through most of the game, Estancia held a brief, 29-26 margin in the second quarter, and again led early in the fourth quarter on a lay up by Eric Van Doren at 43-42, and subsequently at 46-45 on Clements’ follow shot.

Saddleback rallied to build a 53-48 lead when Bryant Walton pushed a perfect pass to Mark for a short jumper with 4:18 left. The rest of the game was Saddleback’s by two to four points--until Lockwood’s baseline jump shot with 40 seconds left brought Estancia to within a point at 58-57.

Reid said his team was “very, very lucky” to win, especially considering it played without its second largest player, 6-3 Todd Mooney, a 12-point-a-game scorer who was ill with the flu.

The outcome leaves Estancia a chance at earning a league co-championship with Newport Harbor, but Reid, immediately after the game, could only express sympathy for Saddleback Coach Pat Quinn. Quinn, expressing anger at the officials, left the gym without comment.

“I really feel for the guy,” Reid said. “Everybody’s been down on his coaching, but they did a great job again tonight.”

Saddleback center Chance Peterson, who spent much of the second quarter on the bench due to Quinn’s displeasure with his shot selection and rebounding, said the Roadrunners lacked the sort of floor leaders they enjoyed last year in Tim Watkins and Steve Lujan.

“It’s crushing to me,” Peterson said. “But the one I really feel bad for is the coach because he has more talent this year as he’s ever had.. . . We just don’t have any true leaders.”

SADDLEBACK (58)--Jones 2, B. Walton 13, Peterson 4, M. Walton 30, Deal 7, Cook 2.

ESTANCIA (59)--Lockwood 23, Van Doren 10, Clements 17, Stamps 5, Covey 4.

In other Sea View League action:

University 53, Woodbridge 46--Forward Brad Arnold scored 23 points to lead the host Trojans (1-11, 4-17) to their first league win of the season. University trailed, 13-8, after the first quarter, but rallied to lead, 26-25, at halftime and never was behind after that. Freshman forward Steve Stolzoff added 12 rebounds for the Trojans, and Mike Murphy led Woodbridge (2-9, 4-14) with 15 points.

WOODBRIDGE (46)--Bryan 12, Murphy 15, Lyon 2, Townsend 4, Sullivan 8, York 2, Keefe 3.

UNIVERSITY (53)--Paulson 6, Arnold 23, Winslow 9, Stolzoff 8, Glassen 3, Farrell 4.

Corona del Mar 70, Costa Mesa 55--The Sea Kings shot 29 of 48 from the field for the game and made 10 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter at Costa Mesa.

Jeff Fryer, a junior forward, led all scorers with 26 points for the Sea Kings (9-3, 17-6). Karl Kimme had 17 for the Mustangs (4-8, 9-13).

CORONA DEL MAR (70)--Fryer 26, Morris 13, Zimmer 15, Turner 4, Green 8, Johnston 2, Stayner 2.

COSTA MESA (55)--Pelichowski 11, Kimme 17, Strioch 8, Judd 13, Louden 4, Carlson 2.

Newport Harbor 56, Laguna Beach 48--The Artists (4-8) could have tied the score with a minute remaning, but Laguna Beach’s Scott Herdman missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Sailors converted for a basket on their next possession. Rob Mase led the Sailors (11-1) with 18 points, and teammate Chuck McGavrin added 10. Herdman led Laguna Beach with 13 points.

NEWPORT HARBOR (56)--Mase 18, McGavrin 10, Fraser 11, James 4, Beech 5, Lee 2, Sorenson 2, Lee 4.

LAGUNA BEACH (48)--Ness 10, Jordan 9, Elston 6, Wattford 2, Herdman 13, McGrath 4, Dewitt 2, Fortune 2.